M8, M20 and IC 4685

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The Details
Object	M8, M20 and IC 4685 in Sagittarius
Optics	Astro-Physics 160 EDF Refractor at f/5.7
Platform	Astro-Physics 1200 GTO
Camera	SBIG STL-11000M
Filters	Tru-Balance 6nm Hydrogen-alpha filter
Date	15 July 2006
Location	Mount Wilson Observatory - Mount Wilson, CA
Exposure	2 pane mosaic Ha 2 x 8 x 1800 sec 1x1 bin
Software	Maxim DL/CCD, Registar, Photoshop CS
Orientation	Field of View: 02°34' x 02°08' centered on RA 18h06m17s DEC -23°39'40". North angle 353.7 °; east 90° CCW from north
Notes	Imaged with a STL-11000M CCD camera and the new Astro-Physics 160 EDF refractor with its dedicated f/5.7 telecompressor/flattener, this two pane mosaic captures the famous summer trio in a way I was unable to during previous attempts using a Takahashi FCT-76 and ST-10XME. This AP imaging train and 35mm format sized STL-11000M opens up endless imaging possibilites with the opportunity to revisit many of the objects I've photographed in the past, adding a new dimension to them. The mosaic was achieved using the Register, Calibrate and Combine features of RegiStar software. Final processing was done in Photoshop CS.