How to photograph the Lagoon Nebula (M8)
A big, bright hydrogen cloud near the center of the Milky Way.
Photo byESO/VPHAS+ team(CC BY 4.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Lagoon Nebula
The Lagoon sits in the rich star fields of Sagittarius, close to the Trifid Nebula. Northern observers catch it low in the south on summer evenings, so you need a clear view to the south.
Gear and framing
The Lagoon Nebula spans about 90′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Telephoto (85-300mm lens)
- Small refractor (250-600mm)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This target glows in hydrogen-alpha and oxygen-III light. A dual-band filter, or separate narrowband filters with a mono camera, lets that light through and blocks most light pollution and moonlight. It is a good choice for city skies and for nights with the Moon up.
Tips
- At 300-400mm the Lagoon and Trifid fit in the same frame.
- It glows strongly in hydrogen-alpha and works well with a dual-band filter under suburban skies.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.