The Great Andromeda Galaxy

[HunterHarling]

Hi all,

Finally I have an image! I'm working on three different targets from two different telescope configurations, so it took a long time to finish this one.

M31 is a great target! M32 is also interesting. It was once a very large galaxy, but was stripped down to its core by M31.

Exposure information:

C8 with Hyperstar

QHY10 color CCD

IDAS LPS P2 Filter

Orion Atlas Pro az-eqg mount 

60×300s exposure(5hr)

Processed in Pixinsight and Photoshop

 

This is actually my first image of m31 ever, and it turned out a lot better than expected. 

Thanks for looking.

 

Hunter

[DougM43]

Wow, that is a truly superb image. 

[Ronclarke]

That is a cracking M31, well done!! ?

[Saganite]

Beautiful image !

[HunterHarling]

Thanks everyone, much appreciated.

[MartinB]

Wow!  That positively glows.  5 hours is a great dollop of exposure with the hyperstar.  I love the way you have processed the core - really smooth going to white in the centre, it really gives you a feel for the dynamic range of the galaxy.

[HunterHarling]

6 hours ago, MartinB said:

Wow!  That positively glows.  5 hours is a great dollop of exposure with the hyperstar.  I love the way you have processed the core - really smooth going to white in the centre, it really gives you a feel for the dynamic range of the galaxy.

Thanks. I didn't apply any dynamic range compression, so the natural dynamic range of the galaxy was preserved.

[HunterHarling]

Here's a new version:

[Guest]

This is really very good - I especially like the nebulosity colours and the composition - well done!

David

[HunterHarling]

5 hours ago, David_L said:

This is really very good - I especially like the nebulosity colours and the composition - well done!

David

Thanks!

[newbie alert]

Just superb...well done

[peter shah]

beautiful.... bright with rich colour in the stars

[bob-c]

lovely pics..

                bob..

[HunterHarling]

15 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Just superb...well done

Thanks.

15 hours ago, peter shah said:

beautiful.... bright with rich colour in the stars

Thanks, I don't usually have great star color, so I'm quite happy with it this time.

11 hours ago, bob-c said:

lovely pics..

                bob..

Thanks.

[Rodd]

#2 for me--very nice.  You just need to add some Ha and you will have it in all its glory.  regarding teh dynamic range--often, when you drop the brightness of objects, the dynamic range increases--but just little nudges (using curves in PI).  The galaxy is very bright, and I think some fine details may be washed out from teh brightness.

Rodd

[Captain Scarlet]

Stunning, I especially like the star colours

Magnus

[ollypenrice]

On 15/10/2018 at 06:13, HunterHarling said:

Thanks. I didn't apply any dynamic range compression, so the natural dynamic range of the galaxy was preserved.

No, if you'stretched' the image (as you surely did) the natural dynamic range was not preserved.  The best approximation of the natural dynamic range is to be found in the linear image but, as we all know, that will give us very little to look at.

It's a very nice, clean and well balanced M31 though, and I think it looks great. Few people get such nice tight little stars from a Hyperstar. Very impressive.

Olly

[HunterHarling]

7 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

No, if you'stretched' the image (as you surely did) the natural dynamic range was not preserved.  The best approximation of the natural dynamic range is to be found in the linear image but, as we all know, that will give us very little to look at.

Right, I forgot about that. ?

7 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

It's a very nice, clean and well balanced M31 though, and I think it looks great. Few people get such nice tight little stars from a Hyperstar. Very impressive.

Thanks. I believe this is mostly due to my autofocuser. It's much more precise than simply focusing by hand.

[toxic]

very good Andromeda Hunter