Mother of Pearl (M8)

by Gary Lopez FRAS

Objects in field: Lagoon Nebula, M 8, NGC 6523, NGC 6526, NGC 6530, LBN 25, LBN 26, Sh2-25, 7 Sgr, 9 Sgr, B296, B88, B89, The star 7 Sgr, The star 9 Sgr

Equipment: ASA 500, Sky-Watcher Quattro 200P, William Optics Fluorostar 132 / FLT132, FLI PL16803, ZWO ASI1600MM Pro

Integration: 22h 44m 40s

As some of you know, my academic training is in marine biology, so it may not be a surprise that to me M8 resembles an oyster shell, with its scalloped perimeter and an iridescent core that glows like mother-of-pearl. I have been eager to make an image of M8 for several years, but the object is very low in the horizon here in Monterey, California. I’ve captured data (most recently in 2021) and…