Canon 350D Hap Griffin Baader Mod
23x360sec at iso 1600
30 Darks/Flats/Bias
APM/TMB 130/780
Astronomik CLS 2" Filter

This region just to the east of M8 (Lagoon Nebula) and southeast of M20 (Trifid Nebula) is probably part of the same nebula complex. It contains emission, reflection, and absorbion nebulae and is a prominent and active star-forming region.

The two brightest reflection nebulae are NGC 6559 (south - the namesake for the entire nebula complex) and IC 1274 (north). The dark snake-like dust channel superimposed on the emission nebulae is Barnard 303. Barnard 91 is the tongue of dark nebula impinging on IC 1274 from the east, causing the "polyp - like" structure at the top of the nebula complex. The very bright, small patch of emission nebula in the lower part of the nebula is GN 18.06.6.01.

NGC 6559 is about 5000 light years distant, as are M8 and M20.

July 5, 2008