Kinch

Changed out computers lately - my 12 yr old kept crashing with all the proceessing I was asking of it...   🙂         never got around to posting my last image:

What later became known as the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered on October 13, 1773, by Charles Messier while hunting for objects that could confuse comet hunters, and was designated in Messier's catalogue as M51. William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse, employing a 72-inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope at Birr Castle, Ireland, found that the Whirlpool possessed a spiral structure, the first "nebula" to be known to have one. These "spiral nebulae" were not recognized as galaxies until Edwin Hubble was able to observe Cepheid variables in some of these spiral nebulae, which provided evidence that they were so far away that they must be entirely separate galaxies.

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is 7.22 megaparsecs (23.5 million light-years) away and 23.58 kiloparsecs (76,900 ly) in diameter.
 
The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, who study it and its pair with NGC 5195 to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions. Its pair with NGC 5195 is among the most famous and relatively close interacting systems, and thus is a favourite subject of galaxy interaction models.

Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging camera: ASI 2600MM
Mount: JTW Trident P75
Guiding telescope: Takahashi FS60CB
Guiding camera:  QHY 5 II
Focal Extender / Reducer:  None
Software: Sequence Generator Pro SGP (for capture) PHD 2 (guiding), Astro Pixel Processor, PixInsight.
Filters: Astrodon LRG&B & Astrodon Ha (3nm)

Accessories: Robofocus Focuser controlled by Lunatico Armadillo,  ATIK EFW 3, RB Focus Gaius, RB Focus Excalibur. 

Dates:   10th. - 11th  Apr. 2024

Frames: 
Astrodon Blue  15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Blue  60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Green 15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Green 60×60″(1h)
Astrodon  Lum  60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Red   15×120″(30′)
Astrodon Red   60×60″(1h)
Astrodon Ha     30×120″(1h)

Total integration  = 6 Hour 30 minutes

Yes....understand completely. I have not actually tried this yet but sure looks nice (& simple to use). I am looking forward to giving it a go when next I have data to process. I think you are OK in PixInsight now....... fingers crossed.

Thanks for that.....just installed it in PI. I am sure you have seen this....sent out today.....

Hi Rodd....as usual I have many different versions done over several days. I think the final one on my website is slightly better than this one....not so much contrast and very slightly better resolution of stars in the core. Not too much between them though...just slightly better.

Thanks very much for the comment - appreciated.

I can't say that I am "over the moon" with this one........but it looks OK on Facebook 🤣

Tak FSQ130ED with Extender (FL 1040) and shot at Bin 2 (1.2 ArcSec/Pix). Total 96x60sec LRGB (1 Hour 36 Mins)

M3: This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 11.4 billion years old. It is centered at 32,600 light-years away from Earth.

It was discovered on May 3, 1764 and was the first Messier object to be discovered by Charles Messier himself.

HDW 3 :    This one took some time - a total of 37 hours which I know is even more difficult for those of you in the British Isles....but still a challenge in itself here in Cartagena. (NB: 24 hours Ha & 13 hours OIII)

I have made a version with RGB stars (on my website) but in keeping with the rules for this challenge - this one is purely Ha & OIII data 

Indeed - All the info says to use it on unstretched images only......but I find, one can also use it on JPEG images with reasonable success.

I see the helping hand this way....an outstretched arm + an open hand 

1 hour ago, SwiMatt said:

Stunning image!

Thanks very much 👍

I have updated my image - used R Crowman's BlurX to sharpen things up some. I cannot see how to just replace the above image - but maybe no harm.....so that a comparison can be made between the two.

Lovely work - great processing resulting in a fabulous image.

My backyard is not a dark site for imaging - but from time to time I will give an RGB target a go.....just for a change. This one is not so easy at the best of times and from an urban location....well I can only do so much!

SH2-263, sometimes called the Strawberry Nebula or Raspberry Nebula, is an emission nebula that lies in the Constellation Orion, near the "head" or Orion and right next to the bright star Bellatrix. Sh2-263 is the red emission nebula (upper left quadrant) and vdB38 is the blue reflection nebula. The central star is HD 34989.

(5 Hrs Lum + 4½ Hrs total RGB + 1½ Hrs Ha = 11 Hours). I used ASI 2600Mm with FSQ130ED on Trident P75 mount.

IC 2177 is a region of nebulosity that lies along the border between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major. It is a roughly circular H II region centered on the Be star HD 53367. This nebula was discovered by Welsh amateur astronomer Isaac Roberts and was described by him as "pretty bright, extremely large, irregularly round, very diffuse."
The name Seagull Nebula is sometimes applied by amateur astronomers to this emission region, although it more properly includes the neighbouring regions of star clusters, dust clouds and reflection nebulae. This latter region includes the open clusters NGC 2335 and NGC 2343.
NGC 2327 is located in IC 2177. It is also known as the Seagull's Head, due to its larger presence in the Seagull nebula.

Imaging telescope: Takahashi FSQ130ED
Imaging camera: ASI 2600mm
Mount: JTW Trident P75
Dates:   21st. Jan - 22nd. Jan 2024

Frames: 
Astrodon SII         20 x 600' 
Astrodon Ha        29 x 600' 
Astrodon OIII       10 x 600' 

Total integration  = 9 Hours  50 Minutes

Really nice......👍

I really liked a recent AstroBin IOTD of the Bubble Nebula. This morning I just downloaded the image from my Facebook page and played with the curves some to get this....which I also like. (Pity I did not work with a high resolution image from file...but it is what it is....just a previous Facebook image with some curves adjustments).

Super detail in such a wide field shot.....and with relatively short overall exposure time for 3 x panels.

4 hours ago, mackiedlm said:

Super image, You dont ofeten see this target at such a focal length and it really shows off the structures within. Nicely done.

Yes...I guess it is either one or the other....closer for structure or wider FoV for the overall nebula shape  .... or super wide showing where it is, as in your last one 😉

4 hours ago, mackiedlm said:

Thats a fantastic image. Love the colour and detail.

Thanks very much David. I see bigger scopes really getting some nice detail on the dark streaks - makes it a very interesting area to image ...either wide field or close in!

19 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Can we tempt you to add a second panel in search of that southern loop? (Our version is N up.)

I actually almost started the target again in the past days....but then opted for something new and farther south. (I am in Spain). If I do get back to it - I will start it afresh (easier in the long run)....and as the screen grab shows, my present set-up would be able to cover that 2nd loop which is quite faint I think.  Actually going after that 2nd loop would indeed make it a worthwhile "new" challenge. - I do not recall seeing that anywhere other than your above post.  (If I do get it....I will let you know directly  🙂 ).

6 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

What was it? Why didn't we know about it?  This was no faint little obscurity, it was right there and shining. Sh2-261. A nice one for the narrowband specialists. My guess s that the OIII will be significant.

Lower's nebula.....and I don't think it is ignored by NB imagers....I have done it a couple of times. You are correct about the OIII.

It is actually not such an easy target to image - this was my last effort  in '21

https://www.kinchastro.com/sh2-261.html

Thanks. Plenty of images on AstroBin...  https://www.astrobin.com/search/?q=sh2-263

Good choice - and well done. I have my software all ready to start this target.....but the clouds have put a stop to my plans for at least a week. I may miss it the way the forecast  looks.

3 minutes ago, WolfieGlos said:

Wow, nice image, looks great and there’s really nice detail when zooming in close.

Thanks very much Chris....much appreciated. 👍