NGC 4435 and 4438 - The Eyes

[MartinB]

My last data from Les Granges and I'm really scraping around at the bottom of the barrel now. It was a pig to get a guide star with the OAG especially since I didn't want to rotate the camera for various reasons. In the end I think I was guiding on a small double star! I tried on 2 subsequent nights but 1 proved too windy and the other was spoilt by thickening high cloud.

I like the pairing. Around 50 million light years away apparently. Interacting and the smaller NGC 4438 has had most of it's outer stars stripped away and is becoming elliptical.

The pairing is usually one of the highlights in images of the Markarian chain.

Scope: Meade 10" LX200 ACF

Camera: QSI 532 with built in OAG

Lum: 8x900secs

R+G: 7x140 secs binned x2

B: 7x210 secs binned x2

Captured and combined with Maxim. Processed in PS.

I've had to work hard processing this, a sure sign of not enough data. Even so, that background is smudgy with galaxies!

[MikeD]

WOW what a great galaxy, that has just gone on my must do list.

You have some lovely detail in the dust Martin, a fantastic result.

Mike.

[barkis]

Great Image Martin, such detail, but how much

better it could have been had you collected more data.

You're right, the background is alive with tiny Islands.

Ron.

[Whippy]

If that's scraping the barrel then the rest of us are doomed! IIRC Rob Hodgkinson did these two last year and it was a cracker too, I do particularly like the golden tones of the galaxy cores. Good work sir .

Tony..

[DarkerSky]

Woah!! That is beautiful. Interacting galaxies are top of my observing list at the mo. Will have to get a look in for this pairing when the moon is out of the sky again:)

[adamsp123]

Great work for the barrel bottom Martin!

[Beyond_Vision]

Well those eyes certainly have it . The conditions may have been conspiring against you but that is a fantastic result

Regards

Kevin

[ollypenrice]

Boy, that Meade/OAG combination works! Okay, you were short of data but that is still showing breathtaking detail and I join in the general applause regarding the beautiful golden colour.

Olly

[johnh]

The fine dust around the nucleus makes the image - lovely pair.

John.

[MartinB]

Thanks guys. May be one spring I'll go back to Les Granges to add to it!

[ncjunk]

Great image, love the detail in the one on the left.