Trapezium E&F

I was finally able to see the E and F stars in the trapezium tonight! 8O
After trying MANY times over the past few years I was wondering if it was possible at all (could these guys just be pulling my leg? - there's only 4 stars there...) But tonight it was just easy - the E and F stars were just there. I think I may have glimpsed the I star once or twice but can't be 100% sure of that. I was using my newly completed ballscope with an 8" f/5.75 Hubble Optics mirror and a 13mm Hyperion eyepiece w/2X barlow - for 180X magnafication. For comparison I tried my 3.6 CA reflector - the E star was visible most of the time and the F blinked occasionally - not bad for a 3.6" mirror - but the 8" did much better.
If you haven't seen it yet, don't give up - it really is possible!
Sign me a happy camper - Tim

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Congratulations!

I live in SE Pennsylvania and it can be hit or miss seeing the "E" or "F" stars in the Trapezium. Good seeing is the key, which comes scarce in these parts. Many times I failed to see them from my backyard, though I did eventually succeed.

Then, I took the scope to the Winter Star Party and all of a sudden they were "in my face." Easy as pie.

Hey Tim--

Nice going, especially considering the wicked jet stream that seems to be blowing over Ohio! That F star needs pretty good seeing. I could barely pull it in with my 10" the other night, and only briefly.

It's always nice finally to see a target that everybody talks about.

--george

p.s.--love your ball scope--are you going to add a drive like the one in sky and tel? I thought that was a brilliant design for an equatorial.

Tim,

Great catches!

I think I caught the E star last evening, too. (at 160x with averted imagination!). No, I'm pretty sure it was there. The full moon light was brutal. I was using an 8" Newt.

Rick in Western Ohio.

E and F were easy targets last night with my C11...this was the night after our big tornado outbreak. The seeing was way better than usual. I suppose a few tornadoes beat the atmosphere into submission... 8O

I've seen many photos of M42, but the Trapezium is always just a tight knot of stars. I've never seen one that shows them well separated like your sketch or like I see them in the e.p. Is there a problem with splitting this multiple-star photographically or do people just find the nebula more interesting?

I don't do AP, so this may be an uninformed question.