NGC 4631 in Canes Venatici

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Scope: C8 f/6.9; Location: Dos Picos Park, Ramona, CA;  23 March 2009; Camera: Artemis285

Exposure: 10 x 8 min Luminance exposure (bin 1x1) with IR/UV Block Filter; 8 x 3 min RGB (bin 2x2)

Processing: Images were captured Artemis Capture (as FITs). Aligned/stacked and dark subtracted in Astroart with Sigma Combine and average combine. Luminance and Color channels were scaled and rough color balanced in Astroart.  Central Gradient was removed on all channels in Astroart. Channels were co-registered in Astroart. The 8 minute IR block exposures were used for the main luminance construction with level adjustments and curves to bring out object features.   LRGB combine was done in Photoshop. G2V  factors applied to color channels.  Background noise reduction was applied in PixInsight LE (SGBNR).  Selective sharpening was applied to galaxy features. Final Image size is approximately 1392x1040.

This image was guided; North is up.  This galaxy, NGC4631, is an edge on galaxy located in the constellation of Canes Venatici. It is interacting gravitationally with a smaller nearby elliptical galaxy NGC4627 - it can be seen just above NGC 4631. This galaxy is also commonly known as the Whale Galaxy.   NGC 4631 is about 30 million light years distant from Earth. There is another dominant galaxy just off the frame toward the lower left. -  it can be seen in another image here.  Horizontal FOV is 22'.

Image Center is approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 12h 42m 11s Dec: +32°32'39"

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2012

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