M63 - Sunflower Galaxy

[Aramcheck]

From late 30th May into the early hours of the 31st... 42 x 3min subs with SW200dps+EQ6+Canon 600D (astromodified)+IDAS D2 light pollution filter... Bortle 6 sky here in Leeds.
Processed in Pixinsight & then run through Topaz DeNoise.

I've started running finished images through PI's ImageSolver + CopyCoordinates + AnnotateImage scripts & then using the SIMBAD Astronomical database to look up the radial velocity from the PGC (Principal Galaxy Catalogue) redshifts. Dividing the redshift in km/s by Hubbles Constant (68) gives the approx distance in MPC... multiply that by 3.26x10^6 and you get the distance in light years. A couple of the faint fuzzies, that I would otherwise dismissed as noise or faint stars in this image turn out to be galaxies approx 2.5 billion light years away.

Cheers
Ivor

M63_v2_objects.pdf

[daemon]

Nice one Ivor! Some lovely detail evident in that crop there!

Better than my recent efforts on the Sunflower, but then I've only got the 150PDS 😉 

I've also been checking out that AnnotateImage script in PI and it does add a different perspective. I'll definitely be experimenting more with that.

Thanks for the interesting post!

Cheers,

Steve 

[Aramcheck]

13 hours ago, daemon said:

Better than my recent efforts on the Sunflower, but then I've only got the 150PDS 😉

I wouldn't knock your image Steve - you've brought out more detail in the galaxy spiral & your star shapes are better I think. (I must look at my collimation)

BTW I've found Warren Keller's 'Inside Pixinsight' book to be very useful. Also on this image I tried out Herbert Walter's GAME script for elliptical masks. That proved a lot easier than my efforts extracting luminance + RangeSelection process.

Cheers
Ivor

[daemon]

Cheers Ivor! Yes, I also have Warren Keller's book and have found it an excellent guide. Much better than I had been expecting. Thanks for the tip on the GAME script. I will definitely check that out - anything that makes life easier is worth a look.

Cheers!

Steve