NGC 6357

AKA THE LOBSTER NEBULA IN SCORPIUS

(ra: 17h 24' / dec -34º 20')

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A HIGH RESOLUTION VIEW

September 2025, Home Backyard in Martinez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Emission Nebula Complex

Visual Brightness: NA Pismis 24: 9.6

APPARENT DIAMETER: 60 arc minutes

DISTANCE: 7000 light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

SCOPE: 6" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Sky Watcher Coma Corrector (0.9x) working at at f4.5

CAMERA: QHY 183 MONO

MOUNT: SKYWATCHER NEQ6, OAG with QHY 5II Mono

FILTERS:  ANTLIA HA 3nmt

SKY CONDITIONS: Urban Skies, half Moon

EXPOSURES: HA (90) bin 2x2

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 6357 is a diffuse nebula complex in the tail of the Constellation of Scorpius. The nebula contains many proto-stars shielded by dark disks of gas, and young stars wrapped in expanding "cocoons". Within the complex we have Pismis 24 including some of the most massive stars known in our Milky Way with over 100 times the mass of our Sun. Intricate shapes in the nebula are carved by interstellar winds and energetic radiation from the young and newly forming massive stars.

The nebula season almost over so I tried with the Lobster Nebula during a half Moon night.