When I decided to jump into this hobby, there were two targets I knew that I knew that I knew I wanted to start with: the Andromeda Galaxy and the Great Orion Nebula. Not only are they two of the brightest deep space “objects” in the night sky, but they are also quite large and fairly easy to reach with modest equipment. By the time I read some books, joined some clubs, did some research, and decided what to buy to start this journey, both these amazing targets had slipped away from my grasp for the summer. Only now, as we enter fall, are they coming back around and giving me a chance to gaze upon them and scoop up some photons. I think it is ridiculously cool that you can see these with your bare eyes on a clear night. Here is my first attempt at M42 working in collaboration with my AP buddy, Dave.