NGC 404

[Demonperformer]

Looking for any tips/tricks to help when trying to image NGC 404, which is darned close to Regulus. I'm guessing there aren't any filters that will let galaxy light through, but not star light (galaxies being primarily made up of stars!). Is it just a case of having to bring it out in the processing or can I do something at the time of capture?

Just one thought ... putting Regulus out of the field is not really an option as that would put the galaxy right on the edge of the frame.

Thanks.

[vlaiv]

Probably only thing that you can do to improve your odds for a good image is to carefully choose imaging night.

Dry and transparent with a good seeing.

Water vapor scatters light and you will get large halo from Regulus - you don't want that. Good seeing will also keep star light concentrated.

More light from Regulus goes into "single spot" - the better, as less of it will be polluting rest of the image.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I assume you mean Mirach, not Regulus (NGC 404 is after all the Ghost of Mirach). One way to bring out the galaxy is by performing deconvolution, but that can be difficult in the PSF is not properly known.

[Demonperformer]

Having a look at deconvolution ... downloaded CCDSharp .... looks fairly straight forward and was going to have a play, but it does not accept the fits files I save from Sharpcap's live stacking program. A bit of investigation suggests that this could be because I saved it as a 32-bit file rather than 16 (a decision based on the thought that 32-bit certainly would not be any worse than 16-bit) so I am going to have to wait until the next clear session to give it a try, when I will use all three "save" options ...

Still, when that happens, I will be ready to give it a go ...