Sunflower Galaxy - last image of the season + raw data

[wimvb]

This will be my last image this season. The moon is all too bright atm, and astro darkness ends in a few days.

This image was a real challenge, both in acquisition and in processing. I haven't completely tamed the MN190 yet, collimation is still a bit off. Visually it looks ok, but when I start imaging, I get star shapes that suggest that collimation is still way out. First I thought that it might be the addition of an oag to the imaging train that was the cause of it all, but I've now come to the conclusion that it actually is collimation.

Anyways, the details:

• MN190 on AZ-EQ6
• ZWO ASI174MM-Cool at -20 C with ZWO filters
• Guiding was a mixture of ST80 guidescope, OAG (the new ZWO version), and finder guider (9x50) with PHD2
• L. 92 x 2 minutes, gain 20, collected April 15 under a 70 % moon
• R, G: 30 x 4 minutes each, collected March 31 and during two nights in April
• B: 22 x 4 minutes, collected March 31 and during one night in April

Processed in PixInsight

Larger version is here:

https://astrob.in/402098/0/

If anyone wants to have a go at LRGB processing, here's the raw data. Only crop and DBE applied. Have fun!

M63_R.tif

M63_B.tif

M63_G.tif

M63_L.tif

 

[gorann]

Very nice, Clerly your persistance payed off Wim!

Small issue: on my screen the blue stars (particularly the big one) look more liliac than blue, and some have a dark core (deconvolution effect?).

[carastro]

VERY nice.

Carole 

[wimvb]

1 hour ago, gorann said:

Very nice, Clerly your persistance payed off Wim!

Small issue: on my screen the blue stars (particularly the big one) look more liliac than blue, and some have a dark core (deconvolution effect?).

Thanks.

The big star(s) needed repair and had very weird colour profiles. If you look at the raw data, you'll understand.