2019 Sept. 25 ~ M8, the Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius

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Photographed 4.5 km north of (13 km by road from) Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock), Northern Territory, Australia, between 22.00 and 22.15 CAST (Central Australia Standard Time)

* Observing site: Long. 131.07° E. | Lat. 25.22° S. | Elev. 501 m

* Altitude of centre of nebula at time of exposures: ~55°

 

* Total exposure time: 14 minutes

* 660 mm focal length telescope

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Description:

 

One of the most prominent, largest, brightest and well known nebulae in the sky is the Lagoon Nebula, which is a favourite target of amateur astronomers with modest telescopes.

 

From Wikipedia: "The Lagoon Nebula ... is a giant interstellar cloud ... classified as an emission nebula and as an H II region. [It] was discovered by Giovanni Hodierna before 1654 and is one of only two star-forming nebulae faintly visible to the eye from mid-northern latitudes. Seen with binoculars, it appears as a distinct oval cloudlike patch with a definite core. Within the nebula is the open cluster NGC 6530.

 

The Lagoon Nebula is estimated to be between 4,000-6,000 light-years away from the Earth. In the sky of Earth, it spans 90' by 40', which translates to an actual dimension of 110 by 50 light years. ... The nebula contains a number of Bok globules (dark, collapsing clouds of protostellar material), the most prominent of which have been catalogued by E. E. Barnard as B88, B89 and B296."

 

For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/49279607658

 

Here is a photo of the gear that used for astrophotography on this trip:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/49017804808

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Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 127is (127 mm - 5" - diameter) apochromatic astrograph, mounted on iOptron CEM40 equatorial mount

 

Fourteen stacked subframes - each frame:

ISO 5000; 1 minute exposure at f/5.2, 660 mm focal length, unguided

 

Subframes stacked in RegiStar;

Processed in Photoshop CS6 (brightness, contrast, levels, colour balance)

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Done