More M42 -

The Trapezium

as photographed by the Anglo-Australian Telescope.

The brightest region of the Orion nebula around the Trapezium cluster is

subject of another nomenclature coming from historical visual observers,

namely Herschel, Struve, and Rosse, and is here quoted from R.C. Stoyan’s

and Andreas Alzner’s articles “Orions Schwertgehänge” in the German

Deep Sky magazine interstellarum, Part 1: No. 2 (Feb 1995), p. 6-9,

Part 2 and 3: No. 5 (Nov 1996), p.16-20, which also contain excellent

observing hints and reports. The Fish’s Mouth there has the designation

“Sinus Magnus”, while the wing ends are named “Proboscis Maior” (SE, lower in

our image) and “Proboscis Minor” (NW). The bright region of the nebula around

the Trapezium is called “Regio Huygheniana”, which is sharply limited by the

“Frons” toward the lower-surface-brightness “Regio Subnebulosa” in the

southeast (lower left) which contains as its brightest star Theta2 Orionis

(nearest to the “Frons”); Theta1 is the brightest Trapezium star. The bright

“light bridge” left of the Trapezium through Sinus Magnus is called

“Pons Schröteri”, which ends up in the northern lower surface brightness

“Regio Picardiana”. The part of the nebula right of Regio Huyghiana was named

“Regio Derhamiana”, while the dark structures in the lower right are the

“Sinus Gentili”, which go over into the “Regio Fouchiana” at the very lower

right.

Comparative view in the visible and the IR part of the spectrum.

The infrared image shows many more young cool stars in formation.

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