M106 in Canes Venatici

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (4613x3481)

Scope: FSQ-106N at f/8- w/ Q-Telex (Celestron EdgeHD 9.25 at f/7 for Ha), Location: DAA Observatory, Shelter Valley, CA, 2 and 4 April 2022  Cameras: ASI1600M (Astronomik Gen 2  LRGB Filters) ASI294M (Baader Ha Filter)

Exposure: Exposure: L - 66 x 4 minutes (gain-139 1x1),  Ha - 40 x 3.5 minutes ( gain-180 2x2), RGB - 20 x 2.5 minutes each - (gain-100 1x1).

Processing: Data Collection -  Sequence Generator Pro (as FITs).  Sub-frame calibration - Pixinsight. Sub-frame  registration and integration (Average combine -  Winsorized Sigma Clipping) - PixInsight.  Mure Denoise - PixInsight. Non-linear stretching, normalization and gradient removal - PixInsight.  Starless image generation of Ha and Luminance images - Star XTerminator. Synthetic Luminance is created from a blend of Luminance starless, Ha starless, and Luminance unscreened stars stopped down to reduce star bloat - PixInsight.  RGB combine, Luminance layering - PixInsight. Ha starless is blended into the Red channel - RGB stars are preserved - PixInsight. Final finishing  - Affinity Photo.  Annotation - PixInsight -  Aladin (Simbad and NED), and Affinity Photo. This image is a  LRGB with luminance layering.  Image processed at 4656x3520 resolution. Final Image size is approximately  4613x3481.

North is to the right in this image.  The dominant spiral galaxy is M106 (NGC 4258) - it is a Seyfert type 2 galaxy classified as SAB(s)bc. An interesting feature is the faint Hydrogen-Alpha "jet" type structure rising out of the galaxy disc. This feature is not discernable in an image captured with broadband filters. It is at a distance of about 24 million light years.  Other galaxies seen in this image are NGC 4217, 4220, 4226, 4231, 4232, 4238. Numerous background galaxies are also seen in this image. One background galaxy is quite distant at about 5.389 billion light years with a redshift of 0.57557. There are more distant Quasars visible in this image - the furthest has a redshift estimated look back time of 11.34 billion light years.  These objects, information, background galaxies and some of the brighter stars are identified in the annotated image. Horizontal FOV is approximately 77 arc minutes. Full size image scale is approximately 1.0 arcsec/pix.. This image replaces  an earlier image in the Archives here.

Image center is approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 12h 17m 58s Dec: +47° 28' 43"

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2022

Current Web Total Hits -