1 M42
e'll start in Orion's Sword where M42, the Orion Nebula, takes pride of place. Magnificent through any instrument, smaller scopes give a lovely overview of this fourthmagnitude nebula, easily revealing the bright kidneyshaped ‘core’ within which the tightly packed stars of the Trapezium Cluster are embedded. The swept-back ‘arms’, the Sail and (confusingly) the Sword, are obvious, giving M42 its distinctive shape. Larger scopes let you explore tendrils of excited hydrogen. Under
