Yes I can see why that was a satisfying result Jeff, nicely coloured, well done
I've been doing this astrophotography malaki for nearly 40 years now and here is my
first M42 
bare in mind it's just a scan of an old creased and wrinkled B&W print, not properly kept
(sadly, I have lost the B&W neg)
and my
latest M42 (which was taken nearly 9 years ago...must be time for another shot of her
)
So things do change and improve, enjoy the ride
Mike