Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => Astrophotography => Topic started by: Roberto on Apr 01, 2019, 10:04:47

Title: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Roberto on Apr 01, 2019, 10:04:47
Hello All

Good spell of weather at the end of last week allowed me to finish the Needle Galaxy - NGC4565 - on which I had been working for a while.  I also took some L (through LP filter) and reworked an old version of M101 in February.
Further information at the Astrobin links:

NGC4565 - Needle Galaxy in Coma Berenices

(https://astrob.in/397598/E/rawthumb/gallery/get.jpg?insecure) (https://astrob.in/397598/E/)

Note main image is a crop of the galaxy at the centre of a much wider field:

(https://astrob.in/397598/D/rawthumb/gallery/get.jpg?insecure) (https://astrob.in/397598/D/)

Check also the annotated version:  https://www.astrobin.com/full/397598/C/?nc=user

M101 - New luminance and old colour

(https://astrob.in/393859/B/rawthumb/gallery/get.jpg?insecure) (https://astrob.in/393859/B/)

Thanks

Roberto
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Roberto on Apr 01, 2019, 10:09:06
Larger images:

(https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/3lcyFPqzewiS_1824x0_6z62Xp46.jpg)

(https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/wTnbWjz04C1V_1824x0_6z62Xp46.jpg)

(https://cdn.astrobin.com/thumbs/-RWL_qGXD5Vv_1824x0_wc4_Z8tK.jpg)
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Carole on Apr 01, 2019, 12:55:51
Excellent Roberto.

I couldn't get anything as good as your M101 in a dark location. 

Carole
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: JohnP on Apr 01, 2019, 15:10:59
Superb - The Needle Galaxy is fantastic - you sure that hasn't been nicked from Hubble? John
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Hugh on Apr 01, 2019, 15:39:42
The Needle Galaxy is stunning!

Hugh
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Roberto on Apr 01, 2019, 16:36:38
Thank you Carole, John, Hugh   :P

My current setup is not best suited to image galaxies as these tend to be small in size for the FoV and resolution of my refractor. I had never imaged the Needle so given the lack of larger targets I went for it.  It's incredible to think there might be other amateur astronomers looking down on us from there!

Roberto
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: NoelC on Apr 02, 2019, 09:21:26
Lovely galaxies Roberto
Your M101 is reminiscent of Hubble images with the galaxies peaking out of space.
Really good.
That's a huge chip you've got on a 6" refractor; your flattener is obviously doing the business very well.

Noel
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Roberto on Apr 02, 2019, 14:27:25
Hi Noel

Thank you; yes the chip is a full frame KAF-16803 and I use a 4" flattener from Astro-Physics.  It has sagged a little over the winter so I will have to re-align it during the next full moon cycle; I can see some elongated stars in the upper corners of my latest images.  The funny looking stars in the M101 frame are from using luminance from a different optical path (different flattener actually) than the original colour shot.

Roberto
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: RobertM on Apr 02, 2019, 20:17:27
Once again Roberto another set of lovely images.  It looks like Voyager is giving you some impressive imaging time.  I noticed that the Needle galaxy was RGB, is luminance on your todo list for the future ?

Robert
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: Roberto on Apr 03, 2019, 13:00:16
Hi Robert

Thank you.  I did take Luminance through a LPS filter.  I have always used one for that channel  - not for colour or narrowband.  Details on Astrobin:

Dates:March 12, 2019,  March 13, 2019,  March 24, 2019,  March 25, 2019,  March 26, 2019,  March 28, 2019,  March 29, 2019,  March 30, 2019

Frames:
Astrodon Blue G2E: 26x300" bin 1x1
Astrodon Green G2E: 21x300" bin 1x1
Astrodon Red G2E: 18x300" bin 1x1
Hutech IDAS LPS P2 50mm square: 47x600" bin 1x1

Integration: 13.2 hours

Avg. Moon age: 17.57 days

Avg. Moon phase: 51.30%

Astrometry.net job: 2613488

RA center: 189.087 degrees

DEC center: 25.998 degrees

Pixel scale: 1.431 arcsec/pixel

Orientation: 180.426 degrees

Field radius: 0.278 degrees

Locations: Home - Petts Wood, Petts Wood, United Kingdom

Data source: Backyard
Title: Re: A couple more from Petts Wood - Needle Galaxy and reworked M101
Post by: MarkS on Apr 04, 2019, 18:38:17
Hi Roberto,

That Needle Galaxy is really excellent!  Well worth all the effort.

Mark