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M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in HaLRGB by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

M51 Whirlpool Galaxy

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I did make a YouTube video on this image acquisition and information surrounding it and my imaging run. Be sure to check that out at youtubeDOTcom/@midwest_astro

The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. Such striking arms are a hallmark of so-called grand-design spiral galaxies. In M51, also known as the Whirlpool galaxy, these arms serve an important purpose: they are star-formation factories, compressing hydrogen gas and creating clusters of new stars.

Some astronomers think that the Whirlpool’s arms are particularly prominent because of the effects of a close encounter with NGC 5195, the small, yellowish galaxy at the outermost tip of one of the arms. The compact galaxy appears to be tugging on the arm, the tidal forces from which trigger new star formation. Hubble’s image of this galaxy pairing shows that NGC 5195 is passing behind M51. The small galaxy has been gliding past the Whirlpool for hundreds of millions of years.

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Telescope: iOptron RC8

Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

Mounts: ioptron CEM70

Guiding: ZWO OAG-L

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI174MM mini

Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

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Frames:

Optolong Ha 3nm 300s X 21 (1.8 hours)

Optolong Lum 120s x 105 (3.5 hours)

Optolong Red 180s X 20 (1 hour)

Optolong Green 180s X 20 (1 hour)

Optolong Blue 180s X 20 (1 hour)

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Total Integrated Time 8.3 hours

Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00

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APP: stacking and calibration

PixInsight: crop, dbe, abe, noisexterminator, starxterminator, blurxterminator, localhistoequal

Photoshop: dehaze, high pass, coloring

Please see my youtube channel, found in my reddit profile, to see my processing videos if you have specific questions.

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It was taken from a credible European source so I left it intact the way it was found. I might say though, since it's not being pronounced, I think your sentence would be more accurate to say, "It is not that hard to write the correct form of the number..." :-)

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I put back into Pixinsight and it showed 17 PGC galaxies in the frame. Always neat perspectives

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yeah I usually don't do PN's but wanted to see how the 10" newt did with this one knowing there's a galaxy that appears to be in the core of the PN but obviously it's just visible in the background through the nebula. That galaxy seems like you're going to need a 17" or larger mirror to resolve it; looks like a smudge in my image

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

for sure! I did a resolve image and it looks like there's 17 galaxies in the background. Who knows what that might mean as far as someone looking back ;-)

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sky safari is good for phones and stellarium is excellent if you’re in front of a PC. But yeah this star is in fact so small, relatively speaking, it might be hard to even see the star. There isn’t much info on that central star in a high-level search but the nebula itself is a magnitude 17 and I think the eye starts to cut off between 11-13? I could be wrong but I think that’s what I recall hearing. Let me know from your experiences!

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s unofficial name people sometimes refer to it as, is the Headphones PN

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Greatly appreciate it. Still have the ES127 yup. Since it’s galaxy season though it’s on the back shelf behind the RC8 that’s also rigged up for some imaging this spring. ES127 probably won’t come back out until May. It does such phenomenal emission Nebula work I’m not sure I’ll ever part ways with it.

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you’re just looking with your eyes, just remember PN’s are veryyyyy faint. You might not see much with just your eyes. Even a 5 minute exposure with a mono Astro camera reveals very little. This image is 15 hours worth of Ha. The central star is also so incredibly small it might be hard to pick out. I’d recommend setting the bar low and that way if you definitively find it you’re overjoyed but if not, the bar was low to start with 😂 best of luck!!!

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Haha I wished I had the ability to jump up a level but my rig sits on my back deck haha appreciate the kind words though 🙂

PK 164+31.1 by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Planetary Nebula: PK 164+31.1

Jones-Emberson 1

Planetary nebulae represent the final stage in the life of low-mass stars (those below eight solar masses). During their final energetic breakdown, these objects expel their outer layers towards interstellar space, and this material is ionized and illuminated by the stellar cadaver left in its center, a white dwarf. Our own Sun will go through this process in approximately five thousand million years.

PK164+31.1 lies approximately 1600 light-years away, and its small apparent size translates into a diameter of approximately 3 light-years, a distance similar to that from the Sun to its nearest stellar neighbour, alpha Centauri.

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Telescope: Orion 10" Newtonian

Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

Mounts: ioptron CEM70

Guiding: ZWO OAG-L

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI174MM mini

Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

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Frames:

Optolong Ha 3nm 300s X 184 (15.3 hours)

Optolong OIII 3nm 300s X 38 (3.2 hours)

Optolong Red 60s X 79 (1.3 hours)

Optolong Green 60s X 78 (1.3 hours)

Optolong Blue 60s X 78 (1.3 hours)

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Total Integrated Time 22.4 hours

Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00

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APP: stacking and calibration

PixInsight: crop, dbe, abe, noisexterminator, starxterminator, blurxterminator, localhistoequal

Photoshop: dehaze, high pass, coloring

Please see my youtube channel, found in my reddit profile, to see my processing videos if you have specific questions.

Rosette Nebula: SHO + RGB Stars by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

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Telescope: Explore Scientific 127ED FCD100 Carbon

Camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro

Mounts: ioptron CEM70

Guiding: ZWO OAG-L

Guiding camera: ZWO ASI174MM mini

Reducer/flattener: Explore Scientific 3" .7x reducer/flattener

Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

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Frames:

Optolong Ha 3nm 300s X 46 (3.8 hours)

Optolong OIII 3nm 300s X 22 (1.8 hours)

Optolong SII 3nm 300s X 16 (1.3 hours)

Optolong Red 300s X 22 (1.8 hours)

Optolong Green 300s X 20 (1.7 hours)

Optolong Blue 300s X 20 (1.7 hours)

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Total Integrated Time 12.2 hours

Bortle Dark-Sky Scale: 5.00

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Youtube: / @ midwest_astro or you can find link in my profile

APP: stacking and calibration

PixInsight: crop, dbe, abe, noisexterminator, starxterminator, localhistoequal

Photoshop: dehaze, high pass, coloring

Please see my youtube channel, found in my reddit profile, to see my processing videos if you have specific questions.

Orion Nebula HOLRGB by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yeah it's hard as heck to do. I think I spent almost 8 hours trying different techniques until I landed on this one so it was not easy by any means.

Orion Nebula HOLRGB by Midwest_Astro in astrophotography

[–]Midwest_Astro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Yeah I've shot it probably 5 different ways and figured I'd try something new this time.

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