Photometry of the M42 nebula.

 This research paper presents the results of a comprehensive photometric analysis
 of the M42 nebula, covering three main aspects: photometry of selected variable
 and non-variable stars as well as the nebula itself, creation of a brightness gradient
 map, and estimation of the distance to the analyzed object. Stellar photometry was
 conducted using the AstroImageJ software, and results were compared with the Pan
STARRS DR1 catalog and the AAVSO VSX database. The obtained measurements
 for variable stars fall within the cataloged brightness oscillation ranges, and the
 non-variablet star Brun 928 shows a deviation of only about 0.02 mag from the cat
alog value. A brightness gradient map was created using the Python programming
 language with the Matplotlib library, employing a moving median and appropriate
 scaling to precisely represent gas structures. The distance to the nebula was de
termined using the spectroscopic parallax method, again employing AstroImageJ,
 yielding a result of 414 pc, which falls within the catalog distance range.
 The obtained results, despite minor deviations from catalog values, are consistent
 with predictions of empirical models. A small impact on the accuracy of the results
 may have been caused by the lack of dark frame noise correction. The final conclu
sions confirm the validity of current physical models of diffuse nebulae, providing a
 solid foundation for further, more detailed astronomical research.

This preprint has been uploaded to Zenodo to make it publicly accessible prior to journal submission.