M86 Galaxy Group in Virgo / Coma Berenices
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Scope: Megrez II  f/4.3; Location: Blair Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, CA; 21 April, 2007; Camera: Artemis285

Exposure: 7 x 360 sec  Luminance exposures with IR Block Filter (bin 1x1); 6 x 60 sec RGB (bin 2x2) 

Processing: Images were captured in Artemis Capture (as FITs). Aligned/stacked in Registax 4 and saved as FITS. Luminance and Color channels were numerically scaled and  color balanced in Astroart.  Channels were co-registered in Astroart.  Central Gradient removal was performed on the L,R,G,B stacked masters. The IR Block exposure was used as the luminance channel. Curves and Levels applied in Photoshop to optimize object features.  Final LRGB combine was done in Photoshop using Luminance Layering (or LLRGB).  Since RGB data was gather under variable high cloud conditions, the color data was not consistent. G2V color calibration was not useful and not performed. Color was balanced by eye.   There were significant background color artifacts due to heavy stretch - these were clipped out using curves and the background was smoothed. Final touches were done in Photoshop.  Final Image size is approximately 1392x1040.

 North is up in this image.  The Central galaxy in this field is M86 and the bright galaxy to the right is M84. Both are elliptical galaxies. This "chain" of galaxies leading to the upper left is sometimes called Markarian's Chain. The full chain extends off the field to the upper left.  In this field in addition to M86 and M84 are (from upper left to lower right) NGC4477, NGC4458, NGC4461, NGC4435, NGC4438, NGC4402, NGC4425, NGC4413, NGC4387, NGC4388, . Fainter galaxies in this image are IC3386, IC3355, IC3388, IC3363,IC3349, and the list goes on.... This image replaces and earlier image that can be seen in the Archives here.  Horizontal FOV is about 100'

Image Center approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 12h 26m 11s Dec: +12°56'47"

 

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All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003, 2011

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