M8 - The Lagoon Nebula

M8, the Lagoon nebula, is located deep in the heart of the constellation of Sagittarius. It is a vast stellar nursery, a birthplace of new stars, measuring some 140 light years across. The newly borned stars, which are the bright blue stars at the center of this nebula, gleam brilliantly with ultraviolet radiation and the energy from these stars ionizes the nearby hydrogen gas causing it to emit the red color shown here in this image. It is located approximately 5,200 light years from Earth.

Image Specifications:

     •  Instrument:  Takahashi FS-102 Refractor (820mm - f/8)
     •  Camera:  Canon 300D (IR modified)
     •  Filters:  Hutech IDAS LPS (Light Pollution)
     •  Mount:  Losmandy GM-8 Equatorial
     •  Guiding:  None
     •  Time / Date :  July 9, 2005, 11:30PM EDT
     •  Location:  Coyle Field, NJ
     •  Weather:  Clear, 60degF
     •  Primary Exposure :  22 x 60sec, ISO 800, RAW, average combined
     •  Calibration Frames:  5 x 60sec, ISO 800, RAW, average combined
     •  Image Processing :  Images Plus, PixInsightLE, Photoshop CS2, NoiseNinja