Abell 1656 Coma Cluster . . . awesome

[Barry-Wilson]

This has been a fun image to process not because the data has been wonderful or especially deep (it isn't) or I especially believe I have processed it very well (it's OK) . . . but because most of the bright objects we can see in the image are galaxies and it is "awesome" in the original sense of the word.

From Wkipedia:

The Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) is a large cluster of galaxies that contains over 1,000 identified galaxies.Along with the Leo Cluster (Abell 1367), it is one of the two major clusters comprising the Coma Supercluster.It is located in and takes its name from the constellation Coma Berenices.  The cluster's mean distance from Earth is 99 Mpc (321 million light years).Its ten brightest spiral galaxies have apparent magnitudes of 12–14 that are observable with amateur telescopes larger than 20 cm.The central region is dominated by two supergiant elliptical galaxies: NGC 4874 and NGC 4889.The cluster is within a few degrees of the north galactic pole on the sky. Most of the galaxies that inhabit the central portion of the Coma Cluster are ellipticals. Both dwarf and giant ellipticals are found in abundance in the Coma Cluster.

Details:

• WO 132FLT at F7
• 10 Micron GM1000HPS
• QSI683wsg with Astrodon filters
• Lum 24 x 600s; RGB 12 x 600s each; 10 hours total integration
• Home Observatory in Totnes

I have used PI's annotation script for the fuzzy spotters.

Enjoy the gazing and wonder!

Barry

 

[PhotoGav]

Good work Mr Wilson. This is such a fabulous area of sky. Yesterday I did a quick process of the slightly wider field version that I am working on, ran the PI Annotate script and it identified over 9000* 590 PGC objects across the field of view!!! You have given this your usual gentle processing tickle and it looks excellent!

*[Ed; Ouch, I was massively out with my number of PGC objects... it is actually 591 objects, not over 9000. That spurious figure came from misreading the entry that informed me that the NGC & IC catalogues contain 9900 objects - doh ]

[Stub Mandrel]

DIY version of the Hubble Deep Field

[swag72]

Wowsers!! Love it Barry...... what a sense of perspective of life, the universe and anything else that is left ?

[wimvb]

(what else is there to say?)

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Wow, that really is a cracking image of  a mesmerising piece of night sky  

Steve

[ollypenrice]

Indeed, an image to make us think.

Olly

[tomato]

Awesome is definitely the right word, great job! 

I must admit I cannot warm to the description of 'faint fuzzy' for distant galaxies as seen through an eyepiece or captured on an image. I know that's exactly what they look like, but  for me it somehow belittles the enormity of what we are looking at.

"Our sun is a star in a faint fuzzy called the Milky Way some 180,000 light years across", doesn't have the same ring to it? I suppose the fact that these unimaginably large structures can be reduced to something so insignificant sounding by distance  just reinforces how big the Universe is....

That's enough profound thought for a Monday lunch break

[PhotoGav]

Is this the busiest piece of sky for galaxies? Can anybody point to a more galaxy rich area? (Visible / imageable with our humble earth bound amateur kit).

[Stub Mandrel]

We are in the Virgo supercluster and it's particularly rich between Virgo and Leo.

[Barry-Wilson]

Thanks all . . . . I am pleased that the image is as thought-provoking to you all as it is for me .

[Rodd]

Its also a pretty darned well processed image, and the acquisition skill is nothing to sneeze at either.  The Coma cluster is indeed awesome, and Mr. Barry Wilson has made it even more so...now that is, indeed, something to ponder!

Rodd

[James]

There's a LOT of galaxies in there! Lovely image Barry

[MikeODay]

Wonderful image Barry - well done!

[Xiga]

On 19/05/2018 at 17:50, Barry-Wilson said:

This has been a fun image to process not because the data has been wonderful or especially deep (it isn't) or I especially believe I have processed it very well (it's OK) . . . but because most of the bright objects we can see in the image are galaxies and it is "awesome" in the original sense of the word.

From Wkipedia:

The Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) is a large cluster of galaxies that contains over 1,000 identified galaxies.Along with the Leo Cluster (Abell 1367), it is one of the two major clusters comprising the Coma Supercluster.It is located in and takes its name from the constellation Coma Berenices.  The cluster's mean distance from Earth is 99 Mpc (321 million light years).Its ten brightest spiral galaxies have apparent magnitudes of 12–14 that are observable with amateur telescopes larger than 20 cm.The central region is dominated by two supergiant elliptical galaxies: NGC 4874 and NGC 4889.The cluster is within a few degrees of the north galactic pole on the sky. Most of the galaxies that inhabit the central portion of the Coma Cluster are ellipticals. Both dwarf and giant ellipticals are found in abundance in the Coma Cluster.

Details:

• WO 132FLT at F7
• 10 Micron GM1000HPS
• QSI683wsg with Astrodon filters
• Lum 24 x 600s; RGB 12 x 600s each; 10 hours total integration
• Home Observatory in Totnes

I have used PI's annotation script for the fuzzy spotters.

Enjoy the gazing and wonder!

Barry

 

Simply amazing Barry.

I saw this earlier on my phone and, tbh, i didn't even raise an eyebrow. But now that i see it full screen on my PC, WOW, it actually reminds of the Hubble Deep Field image. So...Many...Galaxies, it is extraordinary! And despite the distance, some are even exhibiting detail, the one at 5 o'clock ish is showing some detail in the spiral arms. Amazing...

[Paul73]

Great image. 

Something to ponder indeed. All of those galaxies in less than 1° of sky. Visually, you could lose the lot between two of the stars in Orion’s Belt...... 

Paul