M81 & M82 among a lot of IFN

[gorann]

Reprocessed two year old data with all the new XTerminator procedures - made quite a difference when it comes to the well known but quite faint IFN around M81 & M82 (or M163 that someone called them). Quite a lot of other galaxies around too.

71 x 4 min with a RASA8 and ASI2600MC, No filter.

Cheers, Göran

 

New version:

Old version:

[jetstream]

Excellent images and believe it or not Ive seen some IFN here, looks more like the second image but dimmer.  Thanks for bringing the IFN out so well Gorann!

Gerry

[gorann]

Thanks a lot Gerry! Do you mean you actually seen it visually?

[jetstream]

Just now, gorann said:

Thanks a lot Gerry! Do you mean you actually seen it visually?

Yes, up near Vega is an "easy" section and by M31 too. Its a hobby within a hobby and Ive no reason as to why I can see this- but Ive chatted with a few others that do as well. When looking for it I very very slowly pan until something stops me... and then concentrate on that area looking to define an edge. They appear as a "liquid grey" shadow, very faint to my eyes and can texture the sky.  Your "old" image really looks similar to what I see but fainter and grey.

[symmetal]

That's quite a difference Göran. Thanks for posting.

By coincidence, I happened to image the same area last night with the RASA 11. The Moon was full so was going to pur the 2600 on as there's not much Ha around this time of year, until I realised I'd only bought the M54 adapter for the Baader UFC system. Until I get the M42 adapter I can only use the 6200 and so with the Astronomik L3 pointed it at Bode's galaxy as it was well away from the Moon, in the hope of getting some IFN. I got 2 hours of 60s exposures at zero gain before the high clouds got too much. Will see how it turns out later. If it's any good you could add it to your image. 😀

Alan

[Mr Spock]

Wonderful image. The reprocessing is well worth it 👍

[gorann]

14 hours ago, symmetal said:

That's quite a difference Göran. Thanks for posting.

By coincidence, I happened to image the same area last night with the RASA 11. The Moon was full so was going to pur the 2600 on as there's not much Ha around this time of year, until I realised I'd only bought the M54 adapter for the Baader UFC system. Until I get the M42 adapter I can only use the 6200 and so with the Astronomik L3 pointed it at Bode's galaxy as it was well away from the Moon, in the hope of getting some IFN. I got 2 hours of 60s exposures at zero gain before the high clouds got too much. Will see how it turns out later. If it's any good you could add it to your image. 😀

Alan

Thanks and good luck with catching IFN. As you say it is quite far from the moon so possible even now.

[gorann]

13 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Wonderful image. The reprocessing is well worth it 👍

Thanks a lot Michael!

[wimvb]

Wow!. I have never before noticed the blue arcs coming out of M82. Evidence of past mergers?

[simmo39]

Stunnig images, I had ago at this a few weeks ago and was never happy with the result.

[gorann]

11 hours ago, wimvb said:

Wow!. I have never before noticed the blue arcs coming out of M82. Evidence of past mergers?

Thanks Wim! If we are looking at the same structures I think you can even see them in your own image: https://www.astrobin.com/0rzx71/

[gorann]

10 hours ago, simmo39 said:

Stunnig images, I had ago at this a few weeks ago and was never happy with the result.

Thanks a lot Simmo - you will get there as these are amazing objects that you will always come back to.

[wimvb]

2 hours ago, gorann said:

Thanks Wim! If we are looking at the same structures I think you can even see them in your own image: https://www.astrobin.com/0rzx71/

The data from that image was from the FLO contest. At the time, I thought that the arcs were part of the Ha data.

[symmetal]

Hope you don't mind me posting it here Göran, but my 2 hours of imaging was spoiled by high thin clouds passing through which played havoc with the flats calibration. Only the first 5 subs were reasonable before the Moon got too high as well and washed everything out, so I thought I'd see what 5 mins with the RASA 11 would achieve. 😁

5 x 60s L-3, ASI6200MM gain 0, RASA 11, full Moon 🙂

I think there's a bit more detail visible in parts of M81 and M82, than on yours Göran. 😁 620mm fl may help too.

If given more stretching the IFN does becomes visible.

Alan

[gorann]

7 hours ago, symmetal said:

Hope you don't mind me posting it here Göran, but my 2 hours of imaging was spoiled by high thin clouds passing through which played havoc with the flats calibration. Only the first 5 subs were reasonable before the Moon got too high as well and washed everything out, so I thought I'd see what 5 mins with the RASA 11 would achieve. 😁

5 x 60s L-3, ASI6200MM gain 0, RASA 11, full Moon 🙂

I think there's a bit more detail visible in parts of M81 and M82, than on yours Göran. 😁 620mm fl may help too.

If given more stretching the IFN does becomes visible.

Alan

Hope you get the chance of collecting more. With 620 FL you should theoretically be able to get a bit more detail if sky conditions and integration time are the same. I worked a bit more on bringing out dust and fine details on mine (some sharpening and deconvolution) and added Ha data to M81 that @wimvb just gave me:

CS, Göran

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by gorann

[gorann]

7 hours ago, wimvb said:

The data from that image was from the FLO contest. At the time, I thought that the arcs were part of the Ha data.

Yes, I have only noted that blueish arch in a few other images, and then in very deep ones, like this IOTD: https://www.astrobin.com/341033/E/