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Anomaly in the Lagoon Nebula

Sh2-25 Artifacts Messier Objects
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gfunkernator avatar
gfunkernator avatar
I need help identifying an anomaly in one of my Lagoon Nebula subs.  There appears to be what looks like a star but it is definitely not because it does not exist in any other sub from the same session.  No streaks, no periodic lights like that from a satellite.  No trails.  Just this blob with a slight flare.  Any ideas?
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Jure Menart avatar
Jure Menart avatar
It seems you got something similar I got few weeks ago smile

Check out my post:

https://www.astrobin.com/forum/c/astrophotography/deep-sky/weird-star-on-only-1-5-min-ha-acquisition/
Andrew Murrell avatar
Andrew Murrell avatar
There are a couple of possibilities. Point Meteor is the most likely due to the slight flare on either side. Another could be a cosmic ray interacting with your camera.
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Tony Gondola avatar
Tony Gondola avatar
it also could be a specular reflection from a satellite or bit of space junk. I've seen this happen visually with the ISS, a flat panel get oriented just right and it's like a flash bulb going off. I can see something that's small enough not to leave a trail doing this. In fact, I think this is much more likely than a meteor coming right at you. There's a lot of stuff up there.
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