Galaxy Season Recap

[Rodd]

I really wanted to improve my broad band imaging and galaxies seemed appropriate for this.....the next step is nebulae, but I feel that is the most challenging with my sky.  I also wanted to give the TOA 130 another shot at galaxies using consistent sub lengths.  The images are posted in order of acquisition.  Each was taken with the TOA 130 and ASI 1600 with Astrodon series E Truballance filters and a 3nm Ha filter when Ha was collected.  I did not include the number of subs but I do indicate the total integration time.    I am very pleased with a couple, and not so pleased with a couple.  I am frustrated that I was only able to complete 6 images in 7 months. 

If I were more skilled I would have them all scaled to their relative sizes and put on a collage instead of posting 6 individual images. 

IC-342: 32.5 hours (12.5 hours of Ha)

 

NGC 3184: 27.2 hours (3.2 hours of Ha)

 

NGC 3953: 17.2 hours  No Ha

 

M101: 28.3 hours (7.25 hours of Ha)

 

M100: 17.4 hours  No Ha

 

M51:  24.3 hours (9 hours of Ha)

 

Edited June 10, 2020 by Rodd

[CloudMagnet]

Stunning. Really shows the advantages of long intergration time in bringing out the smallest of details.

I would be interested to know what that dusty smudge is on the exteme left hand side of M51 is.

[Rodd]

8 minutes ago, CloudMagnet said:

I would be interested to know what that dusty smudge is on the exteme left hand side of M51 i

That is the remains of a microlensing artifact around a bright star I cropped out.  Someone said it was ruining the image, so I removed it--that's why M51 is not centered.

[tomato]

They are all great images, IC 342 and M100 are the standouts for me.

Galaxies are far and away my favourite class of objects to image, I am risking starting a debate here, but the challenge of optimising the colour assignment and revealing small scale detail, coupled with their (generally) small size, to me make them every bit as challenging as wide field nebulae or  narrowband targets.

[CloudMagnet]

Ah makes sense. Still a fantastic picuture. I'll have to wait for next year to try and match some of these

[Kinch]

IC-342 really stands out here as the best processing...Rodd. Hope that is one of the ones YOU are best pleased with 🤔

[CedricTheBrave]

lovely images well done

lots of hours in that lot

[Craney]

Inspiring.

 

Well done.

[MarkAR]

Excellent, well done.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Lovely collection of images

[Rodd]

15 hours ago, tomato said:

They are all great images, IC 342 and M100 are the standouts for me

Thanks

14 hours ago, Kinch said:

IC-342 really stands out here as the best processing...Rodd. Hope that is one of the ones YOU are best pleased with

I like IC 342--could use more data.  The ones I really like are M100  and NGC 3953. 

14 hours ago, CedricTheBrave said:

lovely images well done

Thanks you

13 hours ago, Craney said:

Inspiring.

Thanks--I am glad

13 hours ago, MarkAR said:

Excellent, well done

Thanks

[Adam1234]

Fantastic pictures 

[Rodd]

23 minutes ago, Adam1234 said:

Fantastic pictures 

Thanks Adam.....wish I could have finished more.

[Tom OD]

Great IC342 image, that is a very tricky one to process.

Tom

[astroman001]

Superb work, my favorite is NGC 3953, wonderful detail. 

Peter

[Rodd]

1 hour ago, Tom OD said:

Great IC342 image, that is a very tricky one to process.

Tom

Thanks Tom...I agree.  There is allot of intervening dust and gas and deciding on how much to reveal is a bit tricky.

[Rodd]

39 minutes ago, astroman001 said:

Superb work, my favorite is NGC 3953, wonderful detail. 

Peter

Thanks Peter--I wish I had been able to collect a lot of Ha for this one.  I managed to grab an hour and a half but it was so faint I ended up not using it

[MartinB]

What a great set of images Rodd.  Like you I particularly  like M100 and NGC 3953.  Interesting that these are the 2 without added Ha.  I think Ha addition to galaxies works best when it is really subtle which always seems a shame when it takes so long to gather the data!

[Rodd]

7 minutes ago, MartinB said:

a shame when it takes so long to gather the data!

Thanks Martin--I agree completely.  Part of the reason I typically collect a lot of Ha is that I wait until Moonlit nights to collect it--then I'll get a run of clear nights during a bright Moon and there is nothing else to image (other than starting another image).

[John Nodding]

Cor blimey! 👀

Noddy

[Rodd]

1 minute ago, John Nodding said:

Cor blimey! 👀

Noddy

Ta, Noddy.