| Designation |
Messier 8
- The Lagoon Nebula (NGC 6523) & embedded star cluster NGC6530
|
| Type | Emission Nebula & open cluster |
| Constellation | Sagittarius |
| Coordinates | Telescope centered at RA '05 34 48' - Dec '+ 22 00 17' |
| Magnitude | |
| Size | 60 x 38 light years (only central portion showing here) |
| Distance | 5,200 light years |
| Dimensions | 45 x 30 arcminutes |
| Image Field | 15 x 19 arcminutes |
|
Notes:
|
The Lagoon Nebula is a cloud of gas that is flouresced by the hot O-type stars in the embedded open star cluster NGC 6530. The primary illuminator is the very hot O4 star 9 Sagittarii, which radiates about 50 times more ultraviolet than visual light. This star even in visual bands is about 24,000 times brighter than our sun. |
| M8 is located in our own Milky Way Galaxy in the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm. | |
|
|
| Telescopes | Intes Micro Alter M 806 203mm f/6 Mak Cass on Losmandy G-11 with Gemini L4 |
| Focal Length | 1218 mm |
| Guiding | SXV guidehead through Takahashi FS60C @ f/5.9 |
| Telescope Control | Maxim DL (V4.5) |
| CCD Camera |
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9 - USB 2 ExView progressive
scan
1392 x 1040 (6.45 uM) pixel array (8.98 x 6.71 active area)
|
| Image Scale | 1.18 arcsec/pixel |
| Filters |
1.25" Astronomik Type II Dichroic
IR blocking filters in True Tech filter wheel- Ha, SII, OIII
|
| Exposures |
117 minutes
total: Ha, SII and OIII - 39 minutes each (13 x 3 minute subexposures)
binned 2x. Sigma combined
|
| Calibration | None |
| Processing Software | Maxim DL, Photoshop CS (8.0) |
| Location | Chiefland Astronomy Village, FL - 29.393 N , - 82.863 W |
| Date Imaged | 06/03/06 |
