NGC 1973 Ori Diffuse nebula Difficulty level: 3/5
NGC 1975 Ori Diffuse nebula 3/5
NGC 1977 Ori Diffuse nebula 3/5
NGC 1981 Ori Diffuse nebula 2/5
Date of observation: 2001/02/25 20:30
Observing site: Hoshinomura
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 2/2/3
Instruments: 32cm Dobsonian and XL21
Magnification: 70x
Width of field: 0.9 degree
These are magnificent diffuse nebulae and open clusters north of M42.
NGC 1973: Edges of bright stars are clearly nebulous but the extent is not clear.
NGC 1975: The nebulosity envelops a beautiful equal-magnitude double. There is a wedge-shaped dark area between this and neighboring NGC 1973.
NGC 1977: It appears as a long, wide arch.
Three bright stars are clustered together. The western part of the nebulosity is bright and the outline of the northwestern part is sharply defined. There seems to be a small nebulosity north of the three bright stars.
NGC 1981: Bright stars are scattered and beautiful. There are few faint stars visible.