There is a Skull inside of M82 - Loving my new RC

[Catanonia]

Looks like I have got the 10 inch RC sorted now in terms of collimation / focusing etc etc

It has been a fun week having to sort out guiding, focuser slip, auto focuser, collimation and many other things. All stuff that makes this hobby fun and frustrating at times.

I decided to strip it all down and rebuild from scratch with a new collimation with the Ocal and star tests. Amazingly the Ocal was VERY close with a little star test tweaking needed. Was easier the 2nd time around

Also learnt some new PI skills and now happy to present my 1st "proper" image. I may come back to this and try to see if my lEnhance filter will give me some of the Ha jets

I have also tried to keep the colours as natural as possible with new new processing method in PI

Details

• M82
• 4 hours in 3min 1xbin subs
• Bortle 6 skies on the 22nd March 2022 
• 10 Inch Open Truss TS Optics RC
• ZWO 2600MC Pro - No FIlters
• EQ8-R Mount
• WO66 Guide with ZWO 120mm guide camera
• ZWO ASI Air Pro

Fun Fact - If you squint and zoom in, there is a skull or even a Darth Vader helmet in the middle of M82. Well I can see it   (see the zoom)

Hope you like it and happy for C&C's to help me learn more.

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by Catanonia

[vlaiv]

2 hours ago, Catanonia said:

Fun Fact - If you squint and zoom in, there is a skull or even a Darth Vader helmet in the middle of M82. Well I can see it   (see the zoom)

I'd be happy with that S as genuine feature:

Here it is in reference image:

source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/messier-82-the-cigar-galaxy

Rest of it might be a little far fetched ...

 

[tomato]

Doesn’t the reference image have a smiley face in the circled region?🙂

Great Cigar Galaxy for 4 hrs integration.👍

[vlaiv]

3 hours ago, tomato said:

Doesn’t the reference image have a smiley face in the circled region?🙂

Wanna do that sort of thing? Here is thread for you

 

[tomato]

My favourite is still Scooby Doo, better known as the Fish Head Nebula.

 

[powerlord]

ver nice detail you got there. I need to have a go at this again - when I tried I didn't get anything like the detail you have. well done sir. 👏

[MarsG76]

Excellent image... one of the galaxies I wish I could try and image from Australia.

 

[Catanonia]

On 26/03/2022 at 18:53, powerlord said:

ver nice detail you got there. I need to have a go at this again - when I tried I didn't get anything like the detail you have. well done sir. 👏

Thanks buddy. 

I am at 2000mm FL here and not sure what FL you tried at.

I was quite surprised at the detail I got considering my Bortle 6 skies

On 27/03/2022 at 13:34, MarsG76 said:

Excellent image... one of the galaxies I wish I could try and image from Australia.

 

You are missing out, Bodes and Cigar are great "big(ish)" galaxies for us northerners

Edited March 28, 2022 by Catanonia

[powerlord]

1 hour ago, Catanonia said:

Thanks buddy. 

I am at 2000mm FL here and not sure what FL you tried at.

I was quite surprised at the detail I got considering my Bortle 6 skies

You are missing out, Bodes and Cigar are great "big(ish)" galaxies for us northerners

1500mm (12" 300PDS)