M78 is my favourite celestial object, and I have imaged it at least 30 times - it is also my desktop image, so I know what I am looking at
I'll be frank Andy - you've blurred it too mcuh IMHO. The dark regions and red H-a regions look like a photoshop blur action to mitigate noise, and doesn't "match" well with the not-so-blurred detail of the O3 blue regions. The dark dust and H-a regions should have a rather distinct and obvious edge to them
Sorry, but that's how I feel. Having looked at hundreds of M78 images - my own and many others including APODS - it's not right. Sorry.
Flame suit on