![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170729_Lot-1024x683.jpg)
![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170729_StarParty-1024x284.jpg)
I was the first one to arrive for the star party on Saturday night at Look Rock South. It’s a beautiful view to the south looking into the Smokies.
![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170729_clouds-1024x683.jpg)
We definitely had some clouds for the beginning of the night with some sucker holes now and then. I was never able to get off a 20 minute shot without the clouds rushing in within 10 minutes…
![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/20170729_MW-1024x683.jpg)
But things finally started to clear up and the Milky Way really started to pop out.
![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NGC6820_9x20minHa-1024x1021.jpg)
Emission Nebula NGC 6820 or Sharpless SH 2-86. AP130GTX with Field Flattener Custom 4″ OAG Apogee U16 CCD w/Baader Ha 7nm filter AP900GTO Mount 9x20min Exposures Image Scale 2.16 arcsec/pixel; reduced to 4.32 arcsec/pixel
Once it was cleared up I was off to take some test shots and validate the portable rig was ready for more serious projects. NGC 6820 AKA Sharpless SH 2-86 and all the surrounding emission and dark nebula has always been a favorite of mine. It’s located in Vulpecula not that far from M27, the Dumbbell Nebula. It reminds me of a less popular M16 with it’s gas and dust pillars and dark globules. Open cluster NGC 6823 resides in the midst of the nebula and is about 6,000 light years away.
![](http://www.celestial-imaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NGC6820_Annotated-1024x1021.jpg)