An Evening with the Hunter's Sword

Well the weekend of the New Moon in January was a total washout. It was totally clouded over so by the time of the first quarter, I was itching to get the scope out even if it was under less than ideal conditions.

Thursday evening looked like it was going to be good but it had been a really long week at work and so I was reluctant to load up all the gear and make the trek out to the dark site. So, I decided to just set up in the back yard and enjoy some of the show pieces of the urban sky.

My target for the night was M42 - The Orion Nebula. Just about anyone who has looked through a telescope will instantly recognize this nebula. It is probably the most photographed deep sky object. I never lose interest in this object as it has a lot of detail and no matter what the sky conditions are it is always an eye-pleaser.

Seeing that I was observing from the backyard under less than ideal conditions, I decided that I would take the time to sketch this wonderful object. Sketching is a fantastic way to make the observer to take their time in observing the details. Case in point, I spent about an hour observing and sketching.

Now I am the first to admit that I am a little short on artistic ability, however, I was never the less pleased with the product of my sketch pad.

For those that have never seen this object through the telescope, be careful. You might just find yourself  with an inexplicable urge to invest in a scope and spend long moonless nights in remote areas looking for that elusive faint fuzzy.

Clear skies

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