M81 & M82 23.12.2011

[Spikey]

I got chance to add some more data & darks to my previous efforts and it's up to 5hrs 20 mins worth of lights now.

I'll certainly do another session on this pair and try and add another few hours worth.

I've tried to process the galaxies individually but I'm probably pushing past the limits of my PS skills and over doing it.

All in all I'm pretty pleased with the way this image is going as it's my first go at this target and the most subs time I've collected for any DSO.

It's also a standard Canon 1000D, I have been eyeing up a filter wheel recently so I might have a pop with the 16ic on some LRGB.

[stevebb]

Spikey these are really great - how long are your subs if you don't mind me asking ?

Steve

[Spikey]

Hi Steve, all the subs are 10 minutes. I've only managed about 6 darks as it started hailstoning over everything and I had to pack away in rather a rush. I'll get some more darks next time.

[stevebb]

Thanks Spikey - I had a brief play with these two but I was nowhere near long enough lol

Sorry the weather has turned, pressure is dropping here - sod's law, get a few days off and the weather turns pants !

Best wishes for the New Year,

Steve

[Spikey]

Cheers Steve, all the best to you also.

[ianaiken]

Looking good, I hope the weather clears to get more subs but it's not looking good. Were these with the 80ED? I wouldnt mind playing with your data if you can upload it somewhere like in a public dropbox location, no worries if you can't or don't want too.

[Venus_is_my_friend]

Great detail on the spiral arms. Lovely image!

[Spikey]

Thanks for the comments & yes Ian this was with the ED80 over 2 sessions.

Here's a .tif http://dl.dropbox.com/u/54910135/m8182%20SGL.TIF with a few tweaks done in DSS.

I'd like to see what else can be done with the data as I don't have a great deal of experience with photoshop and I'm only using version 7.

[ianaiken]

Thanks for that, downloading now and will give it a shot before the end of the year :-)

[Deneb]

Here's my 2p worth...

If you want the tif back here it is:

http://www.mediafire.com/?0ukpru423qzqm6i

[Uranium235]

I'd say youve got this one nailed Spikey, youve managed not to blow the galaxy cores, and kept the rich colour. I would be well pleased if I were in your shoes! The one thing you might want to look at is the background level, its close to perfect in the crop version, but the wider field could use a wee tweak to take out the colour a bit.

If you try the 16ic on these, i think you will be only able to fit one galaxy in at a time... so tough choice.. cigar or spiral?

[Quatermass]

Looking really good Spikey these two are such a great target as well I would love to do more on them myself but they sit right above the street lights so I would have to get out in the car to a darker site. Im too lazy lol..

[Spikey]

Thanks for the kind comments and NAdeem I really like how you've got the stars to come out in that re-process.

Quatermass If it wasn't for the SW LPF this would literally be orange galaxies against an orange background, no getting away from the railway floodlights in the part of Crewe where my location is.

After taking on board a few wise words I've re-processed the image slightly. I've killed off the background red I hope, which was my own fault for trying to get the Ha filaments on M82 to stand out.

I've also run a high pass and included a hard light overlay at about 30% (that might sound like I know what I'm doing..........I did say sound )

I think it's improved the colur and sharpened up the detail very slightly.

I might save the 16iC for M51 but I need to buy a filter wheel and filters first, any adivce/suggestions ? I'm thinking of a manual FW plus Baader filters (not the cheapo colured glass things, the proper ones)

I'm over the moon (pardon the pun) with how this has turned out - Anyway heres another crop