But I’m not. M42/43 continues to make me smile. The new-ness never seems to wear off even after 15 years of imaging the same region of space every (cooperative) winter. Even from the backyard in the North Dallas suburbs you can get reasonable detail with enough exposure time and a good light pollution filter. That will change as outdoor LED lighting becomes more prevalent in the city.
37 frames of 300 seconds
30 frames of 30 seconds (to get some detail in the central Trapezoid region)
Celestron Advanced VX mount
AstroTech AT65EDQ w/Orion StarShoot Pro v2. Exposure control by Nebulosity 4
Orion Mini-Guider w/Meade DSI Pro operated by OpenPHD2