NGC 1300 is a classic barred spiral galaxy located about 65 Million light years away in the constellation Eridanus. The galaxy is about 110,000 light-years across.
This was the first light using my new StarlightXpress Trius Pro-814 Blue edition. The smaller pixels yielding a finer image scale, dropping from 0.84"/pix to 0.68"/pix
So, why "The Sprinkler Galaxy?"...it reminds me of the overhead view of a two armed lawn sprinkler, spraying out two rotating streams of water
Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress TRIUS PRO-814 Midi Combi PRO Blue Edition incl. CFW & OAG unit
FLI Atlas Focuser
LRGB = 440, 95, 110, 105min total 12.5hrs
Astronomik Deep-Sky LRGB filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.68"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar PRO
Comments
Data collected over three nights during Oct 2024, with excellent seeing*
*NB: No drizzle guide, upscaling, Blur Exterminator or other AI based sharpening, was used on this
data, this is the native 0.68"/pix image scale, using just traditional Richardson Lucy deconvolution.
Seeing (FWHM) quality at Eagleview:
Excellent: <1.6"
Good: 1.6" - 1.9"
Acceptable: 2.0" - 2.3"
Poor: >2.3"
Most common FWHM value: 1.7"
Taken from Eagleview Observatory:
pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/eagleview_observatory
Equipment setup:
pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/173097781/original
© All Rights Reserved
Slight crop of Full frame
NGC 6744 is a grand barred spiral, thought to be very similar in appearance to our own Milky Way galaxy, complete with a similar short bar across its core region and a week inner galaxy ring like arm. It is 30 Million light years away and a whopping 175,000 light years in diameter! A large galaxy.
*NB: No Blur Exterminator or other AI based sharpening, was used on this data.
Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress TRIUS PRO-694 Midi Combi PRO Blue Edition incl.CFW & OAG unit
FLI Atlas Focuser
LHaRGB = 490min 330min 90 90 90min combined exposure 18.2hrs
Astronomik 6nm NB filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.84"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar PRO
Data collected over four nights during the New Moon period July/August 2024, generally good seeing with some periods of excellent seeing.
Seeing (FWHM) quality at Eagleview:
Excellent: <1.6"
Good: 1.6" - 1.9"
Acceptable: 2.0" - 2.3"
Poor: >2.3"
Most common FWHM value: 1.7"
Taken from Eagleview Observatory: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/eagleview_observatory
Equipment setup: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/173097781/original
© All Rights Reserved
The Devil’s Mask refers to a fascinating trio of interacting galaxies known as NGC 6769, NGC 6770, and NGC 6771. This group is located in the southern constellation of Pavo, about 190 million light-years away from us, so each galaxy appears only two arc min in size. These galaxies are named the Devil’s Mask due to the unique shape formed by their gravitational interactions. NGC 6769 and NGC 6770 are spiral galaxies with distinct features: NGC 6769 has tightly wound spiral arms, while NGC 6770 has two major spiral arms, one of which is relatively straight NGC 6771, on the other hand, has a boxy shape, which is quite rare among galaxies.
See the full frame full resolution version here: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/174788483/original
Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress TRIUS PRO-694 Midi Combi PRO Blue Edition incl.CFW & OAG unit
FLI Atlas Focuser
LRGB = 250, 45, 45, 45min total 6.5hrs.
Astronomik Deep-Sky LRGB filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.84"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar PRO
Comments
Data collected 7 & 9 August 2024,
Good to Acceptable seeing** only sub frames with FWHM < 1.9" were used for the galaxies, all sub frames used for the rest of the frame.
**NB: No Blur Exterminator or other AI based sharpening was used on this data.
Seeing (FWHM) quality at Eagleview:
Excellent: <1.6"
Good: 1.6" - 1.9"
Acceptable: 2.0" - 2.3"
Poor: >2.3"
Most common FWHM value: 1.7"
Taken from Eagleview Observatory:
pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/eagleview_observatory
Equipment setup:
pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/173097781/original
Some links to equipment used to take this image:
Sidereal Trading
www.siderealtrading.com.au/
StarlightXpress CCD Cameras and imaging equipment
www.sxccd.com/products
Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:
www.flicamera.com/
Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:
www.astronomik.com/en/home
www.gerdneumann.net/
MSB Software & Astroart Camera control and Image processing software
www.msb-astroart.com/
© All Rights Reserved
The Swan Nebula, also known as the Omega Nebula, Checkmark Nebula, Lobster Nebula, and the Horseshoe Nebula is catalogued as Messier 17 or M17 or NGC 6618, is a bright HII emission nebula in the constellation Sagittarius.
I have created a hybrid Ha/OIII Bi-Colour, near true colour image.
The seeing held to the typical Eagleview standard over the two nights of data collection (FWHM mostly in the 1.6"-1.8" range) and man, for a 12" F3.8 Newtonian, operating at 0.84"/pix, heck, I must say, I'm very happy with the outcome, what a nebula!
*NB: No Blur Exterminator or other AI based sharpening, was used on this data.
Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress TRIUS PRO-694 Midi Combi PRO Blue Edition incl.CFW & OAG unit
FLI Atlas Focuser
HaOIII RGB = 280min 120 30 30 30min combined exposure 8.2hrs
Astronomik 6nm NB filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.84"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar PRO
Data collected 18 and 22 July 2024, full Moon, good to excellent seeing
Seeing (FWHM) quality at Eagleview:
Excellent: <1.6"
Good: 1.6" - 1.9"
Acceptable: 2.0" - 2.3"
Poor: >2.3"
Taken from Eagleview Observatory: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/eagleview_observatory
Equipment setup: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/173097781/original
Some links to equipment used to take this image:
Sidereal Trading
www.siderealtrading.com.au/
StarlightXpress CCD Cameras and imaging equipment
www.sxccd.com/products
Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:
www.flicamera.com/
Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:
www.astronomik.com/en/home
www.gerdneumann.net/
MSB Software & Astroart Camera control and Image processing software
www.msb-astroart.com/
© All Rights Reserved
NGC 6302 is also known as the Bug Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, or Caldwell 69 and is a bipolar planetary nebula in the constellation Scorpius. Although quite bright, with an apparent size of just 5' X 1.5' NGC 6302 is a relatively small object and requires good seeing conditions** to reveal the internal details well. With just 1120mm of focal length, good seeing is even more important!
This is a hybrid Narrowband/true colour image, created without RGB filters. To reveal the extensive faint Halpha in the area, the background was processed to appear as a more traditional RGB image, so the Ha appears red, while NGC6302 itself was processed as an SIIHaOIII combination.
*NB: No Blur Exterminator or other AI based sharpening, was used on this data.
Orion Optics UK AG12 F3.8
Starlightxpress TRIUS PRO-694 Midi Combi PRO Blue Edition incl.CFW & OAG unit
FLI Atlas Focuser
SIIHaOIII = 105min 110min 150min, combined total exposure = 6hrs
Astronomik 6nm NB filters
-20C chip temp, flats used but no dark frames.
Focal length 1120mm
Image scale 0.84"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar PRO
Data collected 23 June 2023, full Moon, excellent seeing
(FWHM of raw sub frames, per MaximDL: 1.4" - 1.6" across the whole 6hrs of exposure!)
Taken from Eagleview Observatory: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/eagleview_observatory
Equipment setup: pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/173097781/original
Some links to equipment used to take this image:
Sidereal Trading
www.siderealtrading.com.au/
StarlightXpress CCD Cameras and imaging equipment
www.sxccd.com/products
Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:
www.flicamera.com/
Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:
www.astronomik.com/en/home
www.gerdneumann.net/
MSB Software & Astroart Camera control and Image processing software
www.msb-astroart.com/
Tags: NGC
© All Rights Reserved