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User / hammersbox / Sets / Messier Objects
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N 9 B 70 C 0 E Dec 27, 2024 F Dec 27, 2024
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M105 is centered 95 and 96 are in the bottom right. There are many other galaxies in the image as well. Here are some of the larger ones:
NGC 3299: A smaller, less luminous galaxy.
NGC 3377: A well-studied elliptical galaxy.
NGC 3384: A lenticular galaxy, known for its brightness and proximity to M105.
NGC 3412: Another lenticular galaxy.

N 138 B 1.3K C 3 E Oct 8, 2024 F Oct 8, 2024
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"The Little Dumbbell Nebula (M76), also known as Messier 76, NGC 650/651, or the Barbell Nebula, is a small planetary nebula located in the constellation Perseus. It is named for its resemblance to the larger and more famous Dumbbell Nebula (M27), though the Little Dumbbell is much fainter and smaller in size. It represents the final stages of stellar evolution for a star much like our Sun, and its glowing gas offers a glimpse into the eventual fate of many stars in the universe. It also showcases the complex and asymmetric structures that planetary nebulae can form due to factors like stellar rotation, magnetic fields, and interactions with surrounding material.

M76 is located in the northern constellation Perseus, making it visible primarily to observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
It is approximately 2,500–3,400 light-years away from Earth, though the exact distance remains a subject of debate due to uncertainties in measuring distances to planetary nebulae.

The central star of M76, a white dwarf, is what remains after the star has shed its outer layers. It has a surface temperature of around 60,000 K, and it is this intense heat that ionizes the surrounding gas, causing the nebula to glow.
This star will eventually cool and fade over time, leaving behind a dense remnant core.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula is a late stage in the life cycle of a low- to intermediate-mass star. After the star exhausted the nuclear fuel in its core, it expelled its outer layers into space, forming the nebula.
Planetary nebulae like M76 are short-lived in astronomical terms, typically lasting only 10,000 to 20,000 years before the gas disperses into the interstellar medium, leaving behind just the cooling white dwarf."


Askar 120APO: 840mm f/7
ZWO ASI533MM Mono Camera at -10C
Guided on ZWO AM5
9xHa, 15xOiii, 7xSii @10m
Processed with PixInsight, Ps


N 116 B 1.3K C 5 E Sep 15, 2024 F Sep 15, 2024
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Revisited this with the color camera, I also used a hydrogen-alpha filter on my mono camera to bring out the star forming regions. Without setting out to do it I have proved to myself that using an unfiltered (basic uv+ir filter) mono camera to capture the detail (with an additional set to capture just Ha) and a color camera to get the color gives much better results with galaxies (at least in a short time frame). I suppose this means I need a second larger scope for galaxy season....

"The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, is one of the nearest galaxies to the Milky Way and is the largest galaxy in our local group. It's located about 2.537 million light-years from Earth and is on a collision course with the Milky Way, expected to merge with it in about 4.5 billion years.

Key Features: Size and Structure: Andromeda is a spiral galaxy, much like the Milky Way, with a diameter of about 220,000 light years. It contains approximately one trillion stars, which is more than twice the number of stars in our own galaxy. Its massive spiral arms and the intense star formation activity within them are prominent features.
Core: The nucleus of the Andromeda Galaxy is unusual as it appears to have a double core, which might be the result of a past merger with another galaxy. The center is also believed to house a supermassive black hole, similar to the Milky Way.
Satellite Galaxies: Andromeda has several satellite galaxies, including M32 and M110, which are easily observable with amateur telescopes. These and other satellites are bound by Andromeda’s gravity and interact with it in complex ways.
Stellar Content: The galaxy's stellar population is diverse, with numerous young blue stars and older red stars. The rate of star formation in Andromeda is higher compared to the Milky Way, which contributes to its bright appearance when observed in the night sky.
Observation: It’s one of the few galaxies visible from Earth with the naked eye, appearing as a faint smudge of light under clear, dark skies. It's best viewed during Northern Hemisphere autumn months.
Interaction with the Milky Way:Andromeda and the Milky Way are predicted to collide and merge to form a new galaxy, often humorously referred to as "Milkomeda" or "Milkdromeda". This dramatic event, while monumental on a cosmic scale, is unlikely to affect individual stars within either galaxy due to the vast distances between them." --synthesized from various sources


Askar ACL200: 200mm f/4
ZWO ASI533MC Color Camera at -10C
60x90s rgb

Nikon 70-200mm 200mm f/2.8
ZWO ASI533MM Mono Camera at -10C
27x180s lum
11x600s ha

Guided on ZWO AM5
Processed with PixInsight, Ps


N 94 B 962 C 2 E Sep 7, 2024 F Sep 7, 2024
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Interesting processing this image set. Thanks to the PixInsight software I process the stars and nebulosity separately (in this case 'nebulosity' is mainly millions of stars that are too small to see individually that just end up looking like nebulosity). But the nebulosity did not have much detail and looked washed out. It turned out however that there are many thousands of the stars that are visible in the image. So when I combined the stars with the processed nebulosity the image works well.

I love how you can see details in the red star forming regions, (brought out in a separate pass using an Hydrogen Alpha filter that is typically used when imaging star forming areas local to our own Milky Way galaxy). These regions are the Triangulum's galaxy equivalent to objects like our Orion and Lagoon nebulae.

"The Triangulum Galaxy, or M33, is a spiral galaxy located about 3 million light-years away from Earth, making it one of our closest galactic neighbors in space. Though it’s smaller than both the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy, it still spans about 60,000 light-years across. For comparison, the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years in diameter, while Andromeda is around 220,000 light-years. In our night sky, M33 appears relatively large, covering an area about eight times the width of the full moon, though it's faint and hard to spot without a telescope. M33 is part of the same local group of galaxies as the Milky Way and Andromeda, and it’s thought to be gravitationally bound to Andromeda, possibly even orbiting it. The galaxy is moving towards the Milky Way at about 100 kilometers per second, though much slower than Andromeda’s approach. M33 is also known for its bright, active star-forming regions, like NGC 604, one of the largest stellar nurseries in the local group, visible even in amateur telescopes. Over time, these galaxies may interact, and in the distant future, they could eventually merge." (synthesized from various sources)

Askar 120APO with .8 reducer: 660 f/5.5
ZWO ASI533MC Color Camera at -10C
54x180s rgb
7x600s Ha
Processed with PixInsight, Ps

N 42 B 686 C 0 E Aug 24, 2024 F Aug 24, 2024
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This is part of some tests using different exposure times. There are many conflicting opinions on what the best exposure time might be. I didn't collect all the data I wanted, but enough to prove to myself that 4x600second shots are better than 20x120 second shots. This result surprised me a little bit, but there it is.

from messier-objects.com: "The five hottest members of M29 are giant stars belonging to the spectral class B0, about 160,000 times more luminous than the Sun. The estimated age of the cluster is 10 million years."


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