Here is the Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius, otherwise known as Messier 8. This collection of gas and dust is a stellar nursery, lying 4300 light years away. The bright open cluster to the left of the nebular core is NGC 6530, a group of very young stars.
Image Info
Canon 60D with an Astronomik CLS filter, at the prime focus of the KPO 18″ Reflector. 23 frames of 120 seconds for a total integration time of 46 minutes. All frames captured at ISO 1600. Subframes captured and stacked in Nebulosity, processed in StarTools, and finished in Aperture.
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