M51 and the tidal interaction

[swag72]

I've not posted this for a few days as I've not been happy with it. I've taken on board some comments from others and have made a few changes in the last couple of days. It's still not as I would like, but I do know that the collimation is out and I need to sort this on my next clear night.

All comments good, bad and indifferent are welcomed and I even take notice of them!! Sorry about the gradients showing in the image here, but they are not in the original.

Details:

Avalon Linear Fast Reverse

Celestron C9.25 0.63x

Atik 460EXM with Baader RGB and Hutech P2 for luminance

50x600s L

50x180s each R,G and B

There's a larger resolution here available if you wish http://swagastro.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/3/7/23377322/m51_final.jpg

[Sandancer10]

Sara, you've done it again. Top notch image with loads of detail in the arms.  I wish my AP/imaging skills were up to this standard. Well done.  

[brantuk]

Wow! That's good - very good.

(For a moment I thought you'd rented time on Hubble lol)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very good indeed. Loads of detail there

[Uplooker]

Congratulations Sara, that is absolutely stunning. But there again you are not short of data, are you

Ian

[Astroblagger]

Stunning image.

[astro mick]

 Aw,get out of here.

Mick.

[Epicycle]

An absolutely spectacular and deep M51!

[swag72]

Thanks folks - Appreciate you looking and commenting

[jonnopfc]

           Well i can but hope that i will be taking pictures that good one day         

[JamesF]

Very nice indeed.  I wasn't aware you had a C9.25 as well now.

James

[Baffa]

This is very good!

Sent from Xperia Z1 using Tapatalk.

[RetroArchangel]

Fantastic image! Something to aspire to.

Andy

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[swag72]

Thanks all I'm glad that you like it.

@James - I got the C9.25 in January and bought it over here on EasyJet in the baggage hold. To say I was pooping myself was an understatement!!

[sologuitarist61]

Fantastic image Sara - very detailed and lovely colours!

[swag72]

Thanks Richard

[PNJ]

great image, very well done, the outer  halo is brill, may i ask what lengthy your exposures were Sara, 

paul j

[Delboy_Hog]

Congratulations Sara, that is absolutely stunning!  Definitely one of the best I've ever seen of M51. 

I so hope I can produce an image like that one day!

[Ewan]

Fantastic rendition of a stunning target in our night sky, just testing the water on this myself as it's in the part of the sky that gives my guiding grief but hope to have that sorted.

Collimation wise Sara are you refering to the way your stars look because it's very hard to see so i don't think it's out but far.

Sara out of interest in say one month how many days on average can you get out to image ? jealous & curious at the same time that's all, glad you get that time though or we wouldn't get to see some of these targets so deep, go girl go

[HumptyMoo]

[unhandled exception error: Error code reads: "Totally stunned" 0x000000f]

[swag72]

Thanks all

My exposures in luminance were 600s and for RGB 180s - I was using 2xbin though.

If you'd seen the original stack Ewan, I think you'd agree that the collimation was out!! Processing hides a multitude of sins! Anyway that was sorted last night, I hope! Regarding my imaging time, its really weather dependant. For example in January I didn't get out at all as the weather was utter pants. February didn't fair much better. I can be lucky and have a considerable run - I really don't know how many nights I get in a month as I don't tend to keep a record.

[ollypenrice]

You've made a good fist of this Sara. It takes a while to get into long focal length imaging and yet you seem to be well advanced already.

Olly

[Christopher Davenport]

Very very nice, just beautiful.

I wish I could get 8 hrs of subs. Sigh.

[swag72]

Thanks Olly and Chris - While I am enjoying the SCT, I am looking forward to putting the refractor back on the mount!!!!

[Dave_D]

Can you send your seeing conditions over to us poor souls in the UK please? Serious envy going on