The Lagoon

[Paul Haese]

Taken over 3 nights to gather a total integration of 13.6 hours. This is the last of the projects I have planned for the FSQ for now.

I have imaged this target a few times now over the years and I continue to marvel at what can be seen of this target with a small refractor.

Click here (http://paulhaese.net/Messier8.html) for larger resolution image.

[SkyViking]

Top image Paul, with a great natural look and good balance across the FOV.
IMO the Lagoon can handle quite a bit more saturation, but that is of course a matter of taste :) Great work as always Paul.

[Slawomir]

Very nice, as always. Looking forward to your future images with a different scope!

[Stevec35]

Now that's a good Lagoon. Nice Job Paul.

Steve

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Rolf, you could be right regarding the lagoon. It just looked so fluro to me even as this. Might have to do with the RC12 soon, just to say I have covered as many combination as possible.



Thanks Slawomir, unfortunately my new STXL has developed an issue so I will be imaging with the QSI through the RC12, mainly as an experiment, but I want to start doing a few galaxies.




Thanks Steve, I have always found this particular object difficult to really get right and I am still not entire convinced I have got it right. I do however know I spent a great deal of time trying to balance the star fields and nebulosity together. The big problem I have found is that using Ha in the mix can taint the blue badly and the end result looks oddly purple across the field. I tried to use both Johns recent image of the area and Ricks image as guide lines. I suppose it really needs a larger field of view to give that huge field of view.

[RickS]

Great details, Paul, and a cracking image. I would have gone more fluoro but you know that :lol:

Sorry to hear you're having more camera woes. I'm still waiting to get mine back too :mad2:

Cheers,
Rick.

[jase]

Very well balanced image with easy to consume colours Paul. I like the classic composition, it suits M8. Processing doesn't look over done and you've nailed the golden star field. Great image.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Rick, I can't bring myself to go too fluro but you know that. :)

Yes disastorous to have yet another camera playing up again, but be part of my lot to learn more patience. :shrug:



Thanks Jase. I think this is a better view than trying to squeeze both M8 and M20 on the same 8300 frame. I spent about 9 hours sorting the processing. It's really easy to go over board with this object and trying to get the golden star field is a real test. I found it is in the sequencing that makes the difference.

[rustigsmed]

hi Paul,

super sharp and awesome golden stars.
you've somehow managed to balance the dynamic range quite well - somehow i think its just me at times!

Great image,

Rusty

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Rusty. Getting the golden star right with the various wisps of nebulosity can be quite challenging. One that has defeated me several times. Pretty happy with this attempt.

[sjastro]

A fine image Paul.

A minor criticism is the core is slightly burnt out.

Regards

Steven

[Slawomir]

Sorry to hear that you camera is out of action for the time being :( ,but also congratulations for having your photograph of the Vela Super Nova remnant highly commended in this year's New Scientist Eureka Competition for science photography :thumbsup:

[Rex]

Top job as usual Paul. Love that golden star field.

[Regulus]

These some nice depth and detail in this one Paul. A lovely result - Trev

[andyc]

Lovely image, worth drinking in for a while

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Steve, and well picked up on the core. I have repaired this somewhat. I had neglected to really examine this area and appreciate the notification.



Thanks Slawomir, the camera is a pain, but SBIG are onto it. The Eureka Prize was a nice surprise earlier in the week and a nice accolade.



Thanks Rex, I am fond of that star field too. I really like the magenta streaks going through star fields too.



Thanks Trev, certainly my best rendition of this object I think.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Andy, its such an interesting object especially on longer focal lengths that show its spectacular detail in the core.

[Tamtarn]

A fantastic Lagoon image Paul, the detail is amazing and the star field is spectacular.
Barb

[Andy01]

That's a lovely lagoon - nice balance of colour & form. Well done :)

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Barb. I wonder if I collected a bit more data in the lum whether more of the faint nebulosity would appear.



Thanks Andy. One can only try, I suspect though the saturation is a little too high for a Malin entry next year. It's sort of fluro for me too to be honest.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Great work as usual Paul!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Superb detail and rich colour.
I often wonder about the true colour, if there is such a thing:question:, of the Lagoon.

Cheers,

Justin.

[Leonardo70]

Great shot Paul.

All the best,
Leo

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Leo for your comment.




Interesting observation Justin. True colour would entirely depend on your own colour perception, the monitor your are viewing it through the monitor employed to create the image being calibrated, the degree of saturation employed and the personal bent of the person processing the data. I seriously doubt that the Lagoon would ever look really purple/magenta. It most likely would look like a pale mauve pastel to the human eye is seen from a moderate distance. I remember shooting frames of this with colour film back in the 80's and it was distinctly red. Colour film was described as true colour. I am inclined to think this shot is a little too saturated but perusal here usually likes more saturation that I really like. So like you I ask what is true colour? Almost certainly it is the right spectral colours but does that include saturation in the mix?

[multiweb]

Wow! Very nice. Love the high res. Great star profiles too. Just right. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Thanks for the response Paul!:thumbsup:

All true, at least there one object that seems to have a consistent RGB colour through most images.

NGC 6357 The lobster Nebula.

Probably others, but none spring to mind.

Cheers,

Justin.

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Marc. That was what I was aiming toward.



Yeah that seems to often have an apparent red colour. Certainly not with various shades of red to magenta to pink. Cats Paw might be another.

[Shiraz]

really beautiful image Paul - top shelf in all respects.

[marco]

I agree with others Paul, top image here of a classic! :thumbsup:
Clear skies
Marco

[Paul Haese]

Thanks Ray. I just like to try for an even colour balance and natural looking myself. If that suits people that is good by me.



Thanks Marco, Yep it is a perennial favourite to image. Now I can finally say I am done with it in wide field. I cannot make any promises about narrow field though.

[IceMike]

An amazing image. Congratulations Paul!

Cheers,

Mike

[Stevec35]

That's a terrific Lagoon Paul - smooth, sharp and beautiful. I do feel that the centre is a little burnt out though so 99% instead of 100%.

Cheers

Steve

[Paul Haese]

Thanks guys, appreciate you taking the time to comment.

Steve, you made a good point. I reassessed the levels and agree it was a bit burnt out and I think it even looked a little washed out in the centre. Its been several weeks since I looked at the image and can see how you would think that. So I adjusted the values down a bit. I hope that looks better. I have attached a smaller version here, and the full res version has been adjusted too.