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M82 - now with *extra added* M81!!!

johnrt

By johnrt
in Imaging - Deep Sky

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johnrt

johnrt

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Following on from my M81 image I posted here a coule of weeks ago I've been working on adding a second panel to expand the view to include M81. Fortune conspired against me and I missed lots of clear nights due to work, and I thought that I was going to have to wait out the full moon to make any more progress. Finally I got a chance last night, while most of the country was getting dumped on by snow it was fantastically clear all night down here in Kent.

Consisting of 13 hours and 20 minutes in total the mosaic is made from 2 panels, I merged the panels in photoshop for the first time using this tutorial http://www.astromatt.com/Articles/MosaicsPV1.html a very smart technique indeed!

RGB to follow after the moon has scarpered.

Equipment used - Altair Astro 6" RC, Atik 460ex IDAS LP2, Captured in SGPro and processed in Pixinsight and CS5.

As ever, I very much hope you enjoy :)

15775254373_f772c20461_h.jpg

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Scott

Scott

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I like that a lot John... Not too in your face. If I didn't know better I'd say it was quite serene in them there galaxies :D. Is the smudge below M81 a satellite galaxy or is itpartof the main body?

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johnrt

johnrt

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Nice detail in that shot. The background is not entirely flat across the mosaic, and on m monitor the boundary does show, with the M82 part being brighter. It should be fairly easy to correct

Yup missed that at the end of processing, should be fixed now in the image above with a quick dose of DBE in pixinsight.

I like that a lot John... Not too in your face. If I didn't know better I'd say it was quite serene in them there galaxies :D. Is the smudge below M81 a satellite galaxy or is itpartof the main body?

It's a dwarf satelite galaxy known as Holmberg XI

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Super stuff. You are 100% on the money in terms of pulling out the resolution in the galaxies. Lovely processing. I do think the background faint stuff has more to give (The Flux Be WIth You!!  :BangHead: . Ruddy stuff, we used to be perfectly happy without it.  :grin:  :grin: )

You really deserve to get a year's free kit for what you're doing with this.

Olly

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johnrt

johnrt

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Thank you all for the great comments.

The elusive IFN!! It's an odd thing that some snooty types (not on here I hasten to add) regard this image as a failure as "you haven't managed to get any IFN at all", you're quite right Olly we used to be perfectly happy without it!! Unfortunately for me I'm still only 20 miles outside London with its 8 million inhabitants and coupled with my IDAS LP2 that eats up any sign of the flux. I'd love to deploy the 6"RC in some proper dark skies, but for the time being I'm stuck in the back garden. :)

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iksose7

iksose7

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Its an excellent mosaic John, very nice detail in the galaxies, especially M81. And i know exactly who you are talking about when you made reference to the snooty person ;) it annoyed me and they werent even talking about my image!

Callum

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