A Sunflower for Spring - M63 HaLRGB deep - collaboration with Gnomus

[Barry-Wilson]

Steve and I have been processing away for the last 24 hours or so having finally managed to squeeze the last RGB subs, despite the sliver of a moon.  Pleasingly the gradients are not too bad.

We began this collaboration on the 1st February when I captured the first RGB subs, then we have haltingly acquired the data whenever conditions allowed: Steve the Luminance and Ha, me the RGB, all binned 1 x 1.  It was important to capture all the data during the best seeing - not the best winter for that as we all know - however, especially the RGB at the maximum altitude too, which meant much later in the evening, often when Devon was clouding out.  So it wasn't until Saturday 2nd April that I could finally capture the last few RGB subs having discarded one hour of each for poor seeing.  Steve had a slow start with poor weather but had a burst of speed towards the end of March with a few clear nights on the trot.  It was exciting sharing the calibrated data - and we were both delighted to see the results.

Messier 63 has relatively low surface brightness and has recently shown some interesting tidal and halo features - need big scope and dark skies to reveal these.  We are both very pleased to have captured the distinctive clumpy texture and rich colouring.  Processing required delicate treatment for some elements and some brutish welly for others to help coax the subject out from the background.

Details:

Scopes  & CCDs - SW Esprit 120mm with QSI690 and WO FLT132 with QSI683 both at F7

Mounts - Mesu 200 and 10 Micron GM1000HPS

Filters - Astrodon

Software - we both use the magnificent SGP, PI and PS

Data - 36 x 600s Lum; 16 x 60s Lum; 11 x 1200s Ha; 13 x 600s each R, G and B.  Total integration a shade over 16hrs.

Crop and full frame below.

Thank you once again to Steve for good humour, patience, a sense of wonder and fun.

 

[ultranova]

Super job guy's a very nice M63,

very natural looking all the way to the core.

well done

Paul

 

[tomato]

Great collaboration, lovely detail and colour balance. I confess haven't checked on any other images of this galaxy, but are there two distant edge on spiral galaxies visible through the arm of M63 on the RHS of your image?

[Barry-Wilson]

12 minutes ago, ultranova said:

Super job guy's a very nice M63,

very natural looking all the way to the core.

well done

Paul

 

Thanks Paul.

4 minutes ago, tomato said:

Great collaboration, lovely detail and colour balance. I confess haven't checked on any other images of this galaxy, but are there two distant edge on spiral galaxies visible through the arm of M63 on the RHS of your image?

There are lots of fuzzies in the background.  The strange 'angular' features on the right of the galaxy are tidal features I believe (anybody know otherwise?) along with the curved wisp of tidal tail dislocated to the lower right.  If you push really hard on the lum, you will see the outer halo of the galaxy and the strange semi-circular IFN/tidal loop being hinted at.  Links, http://www.cosmotography.com/images/small_ngc5055.html; http://physics.uwyo.edu/~shawns/research/Staudaher_M63_draft2.pdf. We would need a ginormous RC to make the most of it ;-).

[Davey-T]

Good job men, full size looks lovely.

Dave

[Barry-Wilson]

Having read this interesting topic Uk Imaging vs Remote Site, it can be very productive to share the imaging burden, if so inclined, with a like-minded imager.  You need to consider the compatibility of your equipment, image scales, imaging experience etc.

Just a happy thought to help combat the poor weather blues . . .

[Barry-Wilson]

Just now, Davey-T said:

Good job men, full size looks lovely.

Dave

Cheers Dave - not sure we would have managed it if we had tackled this target individually.

[tomato]

Thanks for the info,  the UK collaboration is another interesting way of exploiting the meagre imaging time we endure on these islands.

Galaxies  are my favourite imaging subjects, and I want a ginormous RC. 

[gnomus]

It was, as ever, a real pleasure to work with Barry.  According to Astrobin, the total integration time is 16.4 hours.  That may have taken another month or so if I had been doing this on my own.  There's a lot to be said for joint working.  

[PatrickGilliland]

Nice work guys, and great approach to tackle the UK skies or lack thereof.  Detail is great and colours are very nice.  My fav is the fine detail around the galaxy which is delicate and effective.

Paddy

[johnrt]

Very natural, not forced in the slightest, while bringing out buckets of detail. I especially like the straight dust lanes at the bottom of the outer spiral, does anyone have an explanation of what these dust lanes are, they seem quite unique to this galaxy?

[gnomus]

2 hours ago, johnrt said:

Very natural, not forced in the slightest, while bringing out buckets of detail. I especially like the straight dust lanes at the bottom of the outer spiral, does anyone have an explanation of what these dust lanes are, they seem quite unique to this galaxy?

I think they look a bit like a 'compressed' (spacially that is) version of the (nearly) parallel tracks seen at the edge of M31.  This bit:

[Barry-Wilson]

18 hours ago, PatrickGilliland said:

Nice work guys, and great approach to tackle the UK skies or lack thereof.  Detail is great and colours are very nice.  My fav is the fine detail around the galaxy which is delicate and effective.

Paddy

Thank you Paddy.  Colour was interesting and I had two versions - the one with too much aggressive SCNR green wiped out much of the yellowy-gold centre; so I went gently with the SCNR to preserve the colours which was a surprise.

9 hours ago, johnrt said:

Very natural, not forced in the slightest, while bringing out buckets of detail. I especially like the straight dust lanes at the bottom of the outer spiral, does anyone have an explanation of what these dust lanes are, they seem quite unique to this galaxy?

Cheers John.

[Rodd]

Lovely image (they look the same to me--though i did not inspect them for differences).  In Full image mode I particularity like the nebulous extension to the right--just below the reddish star to the right of M63.  And the central details are amazing-the ed on yellow.  I guess I have to add this target to the list!

Rodd

[Barry-Wilson]

20 hours ago, Rodd said:

Lovely image (they look the same to me--though i did not inspect them for differences).  In Full image mode I particularity like the nebulous extension to the right--just below the reddish star to the right of M63.  And the central details are amazing-the ed on yellow.  I guess I have to add this target to the list!

Rodd

Thanks Rodd.  The two images I posted are the same, one simply being a slight crop.

It is a stunning galaxy to image - a longer FL scope would really do it justice.

[andyo]

Great work guys you have produced a fantastic image of this galaxy the core is spectacular in full size

[Barry-Wilson]

Thank you andyo.