An Everglades Shark _LDN 1235

Last night, I ventured deep into the Florida Everglades with a few friends to capture an image of the Shark Nebula (LDN 1235). The trip was an adventure in itself, navigating through remote backroads under pitch-black skies. At one point, I even got a little lost near a pump station, wondering if I’d need a rescue team. Luckily, I found my way and arrived at the site, relieved and ready to set up.

The location was as remote as it gets, with Bortle 3 skies offering a stunningly dark canvas for astrophotography. The cool night air and complete silence added to the experience—it felt like stepping into another world, far removed from city lights and noise.

For this image, I used my CarbonStar 6” f/3.9 Imaging Newtonian telescope paired with my ZWO OSC Duo camera. Over 3.5 hours of integration time, using 5-minute sub-exposures, I captured the intricate details of this dark nebula, though I could definitely use more integration time to bring out even finer details, with its faint, wispy clouds standing out beautifully against the star field. The processing in PixInsight brought out the fine structure of the nebula and the subtle colors in the surrounding dust.

It was one of those nights where everything seemed to click—well, except for the part where I got lost! But that’s all part of the journey, and it makes the final image even more special. Exploring the Everglades for such a unique target was worth every moment, and I’m thrilled to share this snapshot from one of nature’s most remote galleries.

The Shark Nebula is a challenging target, with its faint dust requiring excellent skies and significant exposure time to reveal its delicate structures. While my current integration time provided a good result, I plan to revisit this object in the future with even more data to truly highlight its intricate details and the depth of the surrounding dark nebula complex.

Despite the challenges of the night, from getting lost to the remote location, experiences like this remind me why I love astrophotography. The combination of adventure, technical precision, and the reward of uncovering the hidden beauty of the universe keeps me coming back for more. Here’s to many more nights under the stars