Messier 8

8 final

Object:   M8 (NGC 6523) Date:               2018 September 3
Type:  Bright nebula – The Lagoon Nebula
Constellation:           Sagittarius Time & altitude:          20.45 UT    11º
Catalogue data: Seeing (5 high):                               3/5
            R.A:                18h 04m Transparency (5 high):                   1/5
            Dec:                -24º 23 Telescope:     0.5m f4.1  Dob.
            Magnitude     6 Eyepiece       17mm Ethos              x120
            Size (mins)    90 x 40 Filters:            None

Notes:

As on August 31, transparency overhead is good with NELM better than 5.5m and Milky Way on view but the sky gets progressively milkier below about 30 degrees. Jet contrails are another problem this evening. I can see the straight line of Mars, Saturn, Eta Oph and Zeta Oph. With the unaided eye I can see only two stars below that line, Sigma and Zeta Sgr, and Zeta is 50/50.

This is the last Messier on my list in and N of the ‘Teapot’. In the drawing the cluster on the right is NGC 6530. The nebulosity in which it is embedded was not visible. NGC 6523 is the brightest region in the centre.  Another bright nebula, NGC 6526, lies between and S of 6530/6523. It appeared to be striated, similar to the outflow region of M82. There is a dark lane between 6523 and 6526 but in these very poor conditions it wasn’t apparent.