Journey to the Heart of the Lagoon and Trifid Nebulae

This post chronicles my first attempt at capturing the majestic Lagoon Nebula (M8) and the intricate Trifid Nebula (M20), along with the lesser-known but striking Webb's Cross, using my Seestar S50 smart telescope. This was an exciting experiment, pushing the boundaries of what this compact instrument can achieve, all under the challenging conditions of a Bortle 6 sky.

Equipment and Acquisition:

The Seestar S50, with its integrated equatorial mount and intuitive mosaic mode, proved to be a capable platform for this endeavor. The acquisition involved:

• Telescope: Seestar S50
• Mount: Integrated EQ mount
• Exposure Time: 10 seconds per frame
• Total Integration Time: Approximately 6.5 hours
• Sky Conditions: Bortle 6

This extended integration time was crucial for gathering enough light to resolve the fine details within these distant celestial wonders. The Seestar's ability to handle mosaics automatically simplified the process of capturing a wider field of view encompassing both nebulae.

Processing Pipeline:

Achieving the final image involved a multi-stage processing workflow utilizing free and powerful software:

• Stacking: Siril was employed for its robust stacking capabilities, aligning and integrating the numerous light frames to reduce noise and enhance signal.
• Denoising and Enhancement: GraXpert was used to intelligently denoise the stacked image, preserving crucial detail while smoothing out unwanted grain.
• Sharpness and Detail: AstroSharp was then applied to further enhance the sharpness and bring out the subtle textures within the nebulae.
• Final Touches: GIMP, a versatile image editor, was used for final adjustments, including color balance, contrast, and levels, to produce the finished image.

The Result:

Here is the culmination of this effort:

The resulting image showcases the vibrant reds of hydrogen-alpha emission in the Lagoon Nebula, the distinct dust lanes of the Trifid Nebula, and the subtle yet captivating structure of Webb's Cross. It's a testament to the growing capabilities of accessible astrophotography equipment and the power of post-processing.

This project was a fantastic learning experience, demonstrating that even with a relatively simple setup, breathtaking deep-sky images are within reach, even from moderately light-polluted skies.