M82 (Cigar Galaxy) with iPhone - 29/04/24

[PeterStudz]

Skywatcher 200p Dob on DIY EQ platform. Southampton urban garden, Bortle 7, ~1am on 29th April 2024.  Seeing OK, transparency not great. BST StarGuider 25mm. iPhone 14 Pro held to the eyepiece using a no-brand smartphone adapter. Captured using the AstroShader app. Cropped and edited. All editing & processing on the phone using the stock camera app, WaveletCam, LightRoom & SnapSeed.

This was captured during a late night/early morning observational session on various targets. I’ve been meaning to try and take a smartphone snap of M82 (well, really both M81 & M82) in the same shoot together, with my 200p, for over a year. For some reason last year I forgot or (more likely) was enjoying observing far too much at the time. And unfortunately this year’s ample amount of cloud has made it a rare opportunity. On the night my sky wasn’t the best - transparency not good - and by this time of year M81/M82 are not in the best position from my garden. Eg by the time it’s really dark they are over the top/back of the house. I’m sure that better is possible!

Still, it might be the last chance this year so I gave it a go. I’d planned to get both galaxies in the same view, but that failed to give good results (I messed it up!). However, M82 on its own came out better. I find it interesting that the phone camera is picking up some colour. Not the best or most straightforward of smartphone targets. The third and last image is the same capture, just with more “aggressive” processing. 

Edited May 4 by PeterStudz

[peanutcol]

Wow, just amazing 👍

[callisto]

That ain't bad is it  

 

Mark.

[Stu]

Yep, I’ll go for a ‘Wow’ too! Really impressive. I do like the last one actually, got more punch to it but not overdone.

[jjohnson3803]

Impressive!  Haven't gotten round to trying AS out yet on my iPhone SE, but I definitely have to give it a go.