Lagoon Nebula Melbourne skies in between days of cloud and light pollution

[Nikolas]

I quite like this nebula it shows plenty of promise, if only Melbourne would pay me the same courtesy, sunny days followed by incessant clouds meant I could only image one night last week in a work day.
183mc pro
orion ed80 and field flattener ( I found out later I was 16mm short on the back focus spacing for this flattener so despite that it worked should be 55mm)
Optolong L-pro filter

130 x 30 sec lights 40 darks bin 2 (guide camera and phd2 were playing up so I ditched them)

Processed in DSS and photoshop

2 copies one darker one lighter


Please pass on the comments I'm always learning.

[casstony]

That's a nice image and very detailed Nik, despite the short exposures.

[Nikolas]

Thanks Tony, the 183mc Pro is very sensitive so it can do ok with shorter subs, as soon as I sort out tracking I'll go for longer subs and more of them.

[Averton]

Hi Nik,
Great image. We like the lighter one best. We would be rapt to get anything like this. We're still working on it.
Clare & Peter

[Nikolas]

Thanks guys, this is the culmination of months of practise and lots and lots of reading and youtube tutprials. Now if Melbourne's weather would play nice......

[ChrisV]

Really nice Nik. You've captured the colour variation around the center of the lagoon. Could you stretch it a bit more? Or does it need more lights to be able to do that - hopefully Melbourne will play nicely.

[Nikolas]

I need more lights in order to stretch it further, I will see if I can capture 40-60 second subs for 2 hours and combine them with this and see what results. I don't want to blow out the centre but I want to capture the outer nebulosity as well
cheers