King of the Nebulae

[mickoking]

What do you believe to be the most spectacular Nebula: The Orion Nebula (M42) or The Eta Carinae Nebula (NGC3372)

I have limited this poll to 2 options to make it more interesting

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Its a hard one because whilst I find m42 more interesting and aesthetically pleasing, the Eta Carinae neb contains the humunculus which is a top dso all on its own. So Eta wins it for me.

I'm glad I don't have to choose and I can view both of them

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

As much as I really like Orion Neb, I prefer Carina due to the amount of objects within. And as Geoff says the 'Humunculus' rules!

Lots of good stuff to see in Carina.

[mickoking]

I haven't decided what to vote for yet?

[astroron (Ron)]

M42 is great but The Homunculus Rocks, Eta Carina is for me the most exiting Nebula in the sky, with all the other deep sky object and those dark rifts, I can spend lots of time observing this one area, plus I hope to see the Supernova go off one day

[acropolite (Phil)]

I'm with the others, for sheer beauty at least in an image, M42 is unbeatable but Eta Carina is the most interesting.

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

Oh, and Carina is purely 'Southern'

[Rodstar (Rod)]

For "spectacular", which is the actual poll question, M42 wins hands down with its rich colour and deep texture, whether visually or photographically.

The homunculus is an incredibly interesting feature at high power in large aperture scopes, but in smaller scopes is pretty ho-hum IMHO. NGC 3372 lacks the interesting contrast in colour cf M42 as well.

[astroron (Ron)]

Ken you havn't done your homework , so is M42=RA 5:35.4 DEC-5:28'04"

[Rob_K]

No-brainer for me. M42 is the most breathtakingly beautiful object in the night sky, and Eta Carinae, interesting though it is, does not even come close to getting onto my short list of 'WOW' objects (Saturn, M42, OC, 47Tuc, Jupiter + moons, Andromeda galaxy, thin crescent Moon).

Cheers -

[h0ughy (David)]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

No-brainer for me. M42 is the most breathtakingly beautiful object in the night sky, and Eta Carinae, interesting though it is, does not even come close to getting onto my short list of 'WOW' objects (Saturn, M42, OC, 47Tuc, Jupiter + moons, Andromeda galaxy, thin crescent Moon).

Cheers -

i do agree

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

No-brainer for me. M42 is the most breathtakingly beautiful object in the night sky, and Eta Carinae, interesting though it is, does not even come close to getting onto my short list of 'WOW' objects (Saturn, M42, OC, 47Tuc, Jupiter + moons, Andromeda galaxy, thin crescent Moon).

Cheers -

Your easely pleased

[Ric]

That was a toughy but Orion just pips Eta for me.
There is also many others which are fantastic in their own right as well.

Cheers

[AJames]

I do disagree with all of you here.

Orion is small compared to the Carina Nebula, which is further away and so much larger. As I've said in more detail elsewhere;

"...covering at least eight times the area of the Great Orion Nebula, M42, and which all southern observers know actually completely reduces the Orion Nebula to a lower grade even though by true apparent magnitude it is slightly less concentrated and as bright. Eta Carinae, and the star that gives it the name, is the brightest, and I dare say also the best nebulae in the sky."

To put it in a true perspective;

"NGC 3372 lies between 1.8kpc to 2.5kpc (6 000 to 8 000 light years) away in the Carina arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. The true estimated size of the nebula is some 400 light years across, some ten to twelve times the area of the Orion Nebula. If it was at the same distance as the Orion Nebula, it would cover the area of Orion's Pot or Venus’s Mirror, and would be incredibly bright – and at best naked-eye covering an area equal to the whole of Orion! Ie. Sunglasses material!"

However, the LMC's Tarantula Nebula is undoubtedly the best nebula of either M42 or NGC 3372. This is the humdinger of them all. In size it is at least four times the area of the Eta Carina Nebulae, and is so bright it is easily seen from a distance of 170 000-odd light-years.

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

I think m42 is the better mainly because you can see it with the naked eye, even from the 'burbs! If Eta was visible naked eye, I would probably cast a vote its way...maybe if it blows up, I might be tempted to change my vote!

Now...if the Tarantula was the same distance as M42...THAT would be a no brainer. But then you would have to decide which produces more light polution, the Moon or Tarantula.

[duncan]

I'll definately go with M42. Probably the very first object i ever looked at with a scope and is still my all time favourite.

[cahullian]

Ivoted for M42 as it was the first deep sky object that I saw true colour in. I in all honesty love both nebula but M42 really gave me the WOW factor.

The worst gaseous nebula is the one that comes out of the bathroom after Ron has been in there reading the paper for half an hour....Phew...

Gazz

[Ingo]

I havn't really seen either well through my scope.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by Rodstar

For "spectacular", which is the actual poll question, M42 wins hands down with its rich colour and deep texture, whether visually or photographically.

The homunculus is an incredibly interesting feature at high power in large aperture scopes, but in smaller scopes is pretty ho-hum IMHO. NGC 3372 lacks the interesting contrast in colour cf M42 as well.

I thought it was a given when we put our vote that we thought what Nebula is the most SPECTACULAR, I didn't think that we had to use the word to get our point across.
I still think that the Eta Carina is the most spectacular Nebula.
The Tarantula is also spectacular for all the reasons in NYX's post

[Dave47tuc (David)]

Eta is No1 imo but NGC 2070 is better than Orion nebula, imo.

But there all great DSO.