M31

[don4l]

I've never managed to take a decent M31, despite many attempts.  I think that my problem is light pollution.  Recently I've had some success with RGB, so I thought that I'd give it another go.   I've spent so much time processing the thing that I have no idea if it is any good or not. 

I've tried to show the Ha stuff and the dust lanes into the core as much as I could.  I'm happy with both these aspects, even though I've wrecked the very core in the process.

I can see that there should be more of the galaxy further out than I have captured, but I don't know if more L, or more RGB is needed - or indeed if I would be wasting my time under light polluted skies.

Feel free to make any comments at all.  I hope to get more Ha, because I know what to expect with that.

Exposure:  Ha 50m.  L 85m, R 37m, G 39, B 53  Total 4h 44m.

Equipment: G3 16200, FSQ106 @F5, on EQ6

Software: CCDCiel, CCDStack and Gimp.

Thanks for looking.

[carastro]

It's looking very nice Don.  

Carole 

[MartinB]

I read your description before looking at the image and was expecting to see a dog's dinner of an image instead I see a beautifully rendered M31 with exquisite dust lanes and plenty of extension without the usual associated noise.  Very good indeed!

[don4l]

3 hours ago, MartinB said:

I read your description before looking at the image and was expecting to see a dog's dinner of an image instead I see a beautifully rendered M31 with exquisite dust lanes and plenty of extension without the usual associated noise.  Very good indeed!

Thank you.

I have no confidence at all with RGB imaging.  I don't seem able to look objectively at my own images,  and I have no idea why.  I'm chuffed by your comment about the dust lanes as I've never tried to bring that kind of detail before.