M8 - The Lagoon Nebula

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M8 - The Lagoon Nebula

[Public Domain] 30 Aug 2025 Dylan O'Donnell
CATEGORY : Astrophotography
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Byron Bay is slowly changing. I don’t need special filters to cut light pollution, but I fear that is now changing. When I started, the sky around Sunrise (North Byron Bay) was pristine, but it’s degrading to Bortle 3-4 for me as the suburb grows and streetlights start to dot the new developments. I will keep doing this even after the inevitable light starts to drown my observatory, and shift to filters and targets that aren’t as susceptible to light pollution. But now, while I still can, I will try to do as much natural colour broadband work as possible. There isn’t anything any council can do, because they don’t own the streetlights. That revenue goes overseas.

Zoom in on a big monitor and momentarily leave your Earth problems behind 🙂

M8 Lagoon Nebula
Apertura 75Q Telescope
QHY Minicam 8
SkyWatcher 100i Mount
HaRGB
Ha 52 x 2m
R 33 x 2m
G 28 x 2m
B 33 x 2m
Total : 4.8 hours exposure.

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