SGL Challenge 3 - A galaxy far, far away

[NigeB]

A bit rough but dodging moonlight and rain storms - here is M63.

Details:

Celestron Edge 14 with 0.72 reducer
Atik 640ex + EFW2 
Mesu 200 mount
Processed in PixInsight

L 10.2 hrs, R 3.2 hrs, G 3.5 hrs, B 2.5 hrs

Second attempt at processing the data and still lots of work to do, I may update if I manage to fix all the problems before the challenge is up!

 

 

[DaveS]

@MartinB I am now in a quandary.

Since my initial posting of NGC 3718 I have managed to get more Blue, plus Luminance (Which I didn't have before), and crucially, correct flat frames for Blue, Green and Luminance

Therefore

I would like to update my entry to the latest version, which will probably be the last given the weather and vanishing astro dark.

However

Since my initial offering attracted some "Likes", simply editing to replace the image would make the likes invalid.

So

Can I post the new version (Which isn't simply a reprocess) and mark the original as not to be judged?

I'm putting this in the  open forum as others may be affected by, and interested in, the decision.

 

[DaveS]

Well, I'll risk posting this. If it disappears then I'll know I've transgressed.

When I posted the version above I thought I wouldn't get any more data, but since then I managed to get another hour Blue plus 4 1/2 hours Luminance. And new accurate calibration frames so:

NGC 3718 in LRGB from the ODK rig in my sig.

15 x 600 sec Red and Green

27 x 600 sec Blue (For a bodged G2v calibration)

31 x 600 sec Luminance.

Best 90% stacked in DSS with full calibration and saved as 32 bit FITS. In AstroArt 7 Initial linear stretch then DDP. Multiple iterations of gradient removal. In addition the Luminance was given a masked unsharp mask just for the galaxies. The RGB stacks were coregistered to the Luminance before RGB assembly. Another gradient removal before LRGB synthesis, then Denoise with masks over the galaxies to preserve the detail. There's a couple of colour balance iterations along the line plus a saturation boost.

There's a light streak in th etop right from a star just outside th eframe which I've left in as it's genuine.

Think I've pushed this about as far as it will go. I have several version on the PC, and TBH not sure which one is the "best" for a given value of best.

[MartinB]

That's fine @DaveS no problem with updated entry.

[ArEnJee]

Hi, here's M106 from May 7th, Oxfordshire, UK

Details:
Altair Astro 294C Protec 38 x 180s @ gain 220 HGC @-15C + EdgeHD8 + Optolong CLS filter + D,F, DF / EQ6R-PRO / Guided |  Acquisition in APT 3.8.7 | Processed in Siril 0.9x

[Budgie1]

Here's mine from 13th & 14th April of IC342, The Hidden Galaxy.

Details:

63x360s subs with darks, flats & dark-flats. Stacked in DSS and processing in PI.

Kit: EQ5 with Evostar 100ED DS Pro & 0.85 reducer/flattener, ASI294MC Pro cooled to -10°C with UV/IR cut filter. Guiding with PHD2 and imaging with APT.

Quite a hard target as it's faint, hidden in the Milk Way and was low to my NW, so I lost it below the Ardgour Hills after a few hours and had to do two sessions to get enough data.

[PadrePeace]

Taken over 8 sessions from 2-16 April 2021. 
Though M101 is a relatively large target it is quite dim and this required a significant effort to get detail into its core. I took 27.5hrs of 30sec exposures which I then thinned down to the very best 18hrs of data removing mostly moon impacted subs. Processed in APP and PS it was tricky keeping the core detail that I had imaged from blowing out.
Lots of advice and lots of very small curves stretches was the key in the end. Hardly sharpened it much with noise reduction undertaken as and when noise just stared to appear during stretching.
As the sensor is biased towards red, colour balancing with green and more so with blue was also necessary.  
Taken at Gain 200 with a UV IR cut ASI224MC uncooled camera, APM107/700 scope on an AZEQ6. 

This whole project started as a trial to see how this scope/sensor combo giving an optimised 1.10as/p would perform especially with an uncooled planetary sensor. I found that it’s a good little sensor if you have the conditions (cold nights) and use Flats, Flat Darks and take Darks every night as the sensor temperature varies being uncooled. For info, I found it ran at about 6 degs above ambient once it was steadily running subs off. 

Hope you like it. 

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by PadrePeace

[PadrePeace]

Following on the heels of my earlier trial on the Pinwheel with the uncooled ASI224MC, I was inspired to shoot this project of NGC4565 Needle Galaxy. It was captured over three sessions 1-6 May 2021, for 8.5hrs of integration, 1000 x 30s subs, 1x1 binned, gain 200 on my uncooled ASI234MC strapped onto my APM107/700. 
This is the first time I’ve attempted the Needle and I’m quite pleased though it needs a few more hours, but that will have to wait until next year as the UK dark window is closing fast now. 
Hope you enjoy this. 
Clear skies

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by PadrePeace

[ArEnJee]

I managed to grab a couple of hours of data on M101 on 19th April.  I ended up shooting at a much lower gain than I intended due to a mix up in APT settings, but was able to salvage something anyway

Details
42 x 180s L + D/F/DF @-15C gain 100
EdgeHD8 @ 2087mm/Optolong CLS filter/ EQ6R-PRO, Guided
APT 3.87.1 / Siril

Edited May 16, 2021 by ArEnJee
Image did not display

[Erling G-P]

Some very fine contributions already and mine certainly can't hold a candle to them, but will post them anyway.  Spring here just as winter has been abysmal, with next to no clear nights at all.  Still have two images, made in April to submit, but unlikely to get more, given the quickly waning darkness.

This first one is the Leo Triplets.  Taken with the 200PDS on April 13/14, 74 x 3 minutes = 222 minutes total (3.7 hours).

[Erling G-P]

Second entry is M109, taken on April 15/16.  Again 200PDS, 81 x 3 minutes = 243 minutes total (4 hours).

[powerlord]

Well, here's my M51. I only got my first telescope in January, so I've very much learning here. I realise it's not in the same league as the best photos here, but it's my best yet and was a breakthrough for me in terms of how to process data. It is also the first galaxy I've ever seen.

It was taken with my ED72 and my ASI224 on a very tired EQ5 mount that I've upgraded to goto with an EQSTARPRO. All controlled by an ASIAIR PRO (which I'd had 4 days at this point), and guiding (also something I'd only been doing for the last 4 days). 60 second subs, and about 1.5 hours of data.

I first tried M51 3 days previously with the ED72 and my DSLR and though tiny, that as greaat 'woohoo - look it's an actual galaxy!!! wow!!). I then got a bit obsessed and spent the next 3 nights trying with my MAK102, the ED72 and asi224 with UHC, and then finally without the UHC - and that's what is shown below.

 

[AndrewRrrrrr]

I've had my GP-C8 with Sky Sensor 2000PC since about 2005 but only recently tried astrophotography. This is M63 Sunflower with a 0.63 reducer. It's just under 3 hours of 90 second subs unguided. Camera is a modified Canon 40D. Still loads to learn but really enjoying it. During this night's capture there was something on the sensor that moved around (weird) at the bottom left hand and the flats of course struggled with that.  Onwards and upwards! Loving the learning curve.

[MylesGibson]

I am by no means an experienced imager, and my pictures are nowhere near as good as the others, but may as well enter something! This is probably the nicest Whirlpool I have captured so far

 

This was captured early April

[ArEnJee]

Hi here's M94 "Croc's eye galaxy" from 11th May

 

Details:
Altair Astro Hypercam 294C Protec
EdgeHD8 + Optolong CLS filter
Lights 56 x 180s @ 220 Gain HGV @ -15C + Darks, Dark flats, Flats
Eq6R-PRO, guided | Acquisition APT | Processed in Siril

[whitfieldp]

It's a push with my setup (F/7 102mm APO, QHY9 mono CCD) but I did collect some data on Hickson 44 over 4 nights in mid-to-late April as a change from the usual Messier objects. My native pixel scale is 1.56 arcseconds per pixel so this was heavy on luminance to let me 2x2 drizzle and crop to a better FOV without suffering too much with noise. There's a bit over 6hrs data here - only 30-40mins each for R,G and B as I wasn't aiming for a heavily saturated image. Just getting the distorsion in the central galaxy with some semblence of definition was good enough for me. I've taken data from a number of flashier Messier galaxies as well since April but this one is somehow a more satisfying result.

Pam

[whitfieldp]

I've probably done M81/M82 three or four times before in past years but decided to experiment a bit this time around - my setup is way more nebula-friendly than galaxy-friendly anyway. Data for this was collected by dodging cloud over 6 nights between 1-16 April. Out of 9.5hrs data on this 4.5hrs was collected in Ha to see if I could drag any more detail out of the structure and gas surrounding the galaxies. That's a nutty thing to do but that's the nature of an experiment.....  It was processed as (HaL)(HaR)GB, processed/combined in APP and postprocessed using Topaz Labs tools in Paint Shop Pro. A bit like the Hickson 44 image this was processed more to see how far I could push my optics rather than out-and-out eye candy.

The effect of the Ha on the Cigar is mainly to bring out detail in the red tendrils of gas coming out of the galactic centre. In Bodes Galaxy it added definition (i.e. some clumpiness) into the spirals and a bit more to the red in the outer regions. In future years I'll probably add data to this image rather than replace it as the individual subs were about as good as they'll get without a new scope/camera.

Pam

[R26 oldtimer]

Here is my humble contribution to this thread.  It wasn't meant to be a serious attempt, more of a quick test for my new (to me)  full spectrum modified Nikon D5300 with a Newtonian. Really happy with the data it produces.

50x180sec subs,  no calibration frames

[Whistlin Bob]

Another Whirlpool...  I was having an observing session on Sunday night when I spotted the "Bridge of Light" between the 2 galaxies in the dob and started thinking it was worth setting the imaging rig running. I planned 15 mins/channel RGB then onto luminance but unfortunately clouds arrived after 40 minutes and put paid to that. Last night was clear again though and gave me a chance to get some luminance too- this is a couple of hours worth to combine with the RGB. Very pleased to get the tidal tale. I hear a lot of people stopping due to the lack of astro darkness, but I'm beginning to think that for those of us who battle urban light pollution anyway and who aren't so far north (I'm in the English midlands) it doesn't make so much difference- just a shorter window during which it's vaguely dark.

[ArEnJee]

Hi here's M81 from May 31st

40 x 180s Lights - seeing wasn't great...

EQ6R-PRO | EdgeHD8 | Optolong 2" CLS | APT 3.87 

[tomato]

I thought my contributions were over with the twilit skies but had a go at NGC 4565, the Needle Galaxy, over the last few nights. Captured with the dual Esprit 150/ASI 178 rig on a Mesu mk 1 mount, guiding at 0.4-0.5 arcsec total RMS, imaging at 0.94 arcsec per pixel.

L 51 x 3 mins

RGB 15 x 3 mins each, 4.8 hrs total integration. Calibrated and stacked in APP, processed in APP, AP and GIMP.

 

[raf2020]

Object: The Whirlpool Galaxy (also known as Messier 51, M51, and NGC 5194)
Date: 11-05-21, Light frames: ~11:15PM - 03:00AM and 17-01-21, Light frames: ~04:20AM - 06:30AM
ISO: 1600
Exposure: 180 sec
Subs taken: Lights: 97, Darks: 60, Bias: 70, Flats: 82, Dark Flats: 75
Filters: L-Pro
Bortles class: 7/8
PP software: APP, PS 2021
Equipment: SW EvoStar 80ED, SW 0,85 FF/R, Canon 6D (one session on unmod, 2nd on mod), SW HEQ5 Pro

 

[KP82]

Already many M101, but still here is my entry:

Date: 14/04/2021

Bortle 5 sky

Equipment: Canon 600D modded, APM-LZOS 115 f/7, Riccardi 0.75x M63 FR/FF, SW AZ-EQ6 Pro, SW Evoguide 50ED + ASI120MM guiding

Lights: 156 x 100sec

Calibration frames: 15 Darks, 15 Flats & 15 Bias

Dither: every 3 frames

Software: BYEOS, PHD2, DSS & PS CS 2021

Edited June 9, 2021 by KP82

[Graeme1858]

Here's my version of M100. Captured on 16/04/21 with my 9.25 SCT, CGX, ASI294MC using CPWI, NINA and PHD2. 89 x 120 seconds at 180 gain, 10 darks, 30 flats, 30 flat darks. Stacked in DSS, Processed in PixInsight. My first nearly 3 hour exposure and one of my first PixInsight process jobs.

Regards

Graeme

 

 

 

 

[rob_r]

My humble contribution to this thread. By far one of most distant intended objects I managed to image before the season closed and one of the better efforts in terms of data gathering.

Object: The Sombrero Galaxy (Messier 104)
Date: 01/05/2021
Bortle 6/5 sky
Equipment: Canon 600D unmodded (ISO800), Skywatcher SkyMax 127, Skywatcher EQ5 mount, tracked, no filters
Lights: 147 x 18sec
Calibration frames: 40 Darks & 40 Bias
Software: Siril & Photoshop