The Space Lobster

Not well known to observers in the Northern Hemisphere, the Lobster Nebula (NGC 6357) in Cepheus shows a complex pattern of Hydrogen alpha and Oxygen-III regions.

It's quite far south in the sky at a declination of −34° 20′ and here in Tucson it barely rises 25º over the horizon at the very best. This makes it harder to photograph as there's literally more atmosphere between the telescope and the target, adding more blurriness due to turbulence and temperature currents in the air.

Click or tap to enlarge/double-tap to zoom

Total exposure time: 15h 45m (56,700s)
Image resolution: 3,307 × 2,897px (1.919″/px)
Shot from my driveway near Tucson, AZ in May 2022

Telescope: William Optics RedCat 51 (250mm focal length ƒ/4.9)
Camera: ZWO ASI294MM Pro
Filters: ZWO 7nm narrowband filters in Sulphur-II, Hydrogen alpha and Oxygen-III, ZWO RGB filters
Mount: iOptron CEM26

Copyright © 2022 by Thomas Fuchs. All rights reserved. You're free to use any of my images as wallpaper on your computer or phone. For other uses, including commercial use, derivative works or republishing, please contact me at thomas@slash7.com.