Stunning Orion Nebula image sparks winter stargazing urge

Space photographer Joel Martin captured a striking image of the Orion Nebula (M42) about 1,500 light-years away, using a 6-inch Newtonian reflector with narrow-band filters to reveal the nebula’s dust and gas shaped by the region’s young stars in the Trapezium cluster; the piece notes Orion’s visibility in mid-January skies and discusses imaging and observing the nebula, including telescope recommendations.