NGC 1398 Dreamcatcher

[strongmanmike]

This beautiful galaxy looks like it has been drawn with a Spirograph (https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/spirograph2.png) and is about 7.5' X 5.5' in size. NGC 1398 is an isolated barred spiral galaxy exhibiting a very geometrical double ring structure that resembles a Dreamcatcher (https://au.pinterest.com/pin/114771490478803589/).
It is located 65 million light years from the Earth, in the constellation of Fornax. The galaxy, with a diameter of 135,000 light years, is slightly larger than the Milky Way and has over 100 billion stars.

This is currently an early morning object, transiting at the start of twilight (5am) at this time of year and I had pretty good seeing for the capture of the Lum for this :)

NGC 1398 (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/166125663/original)

NB. All image capture details can be found under the image at the link above

Mike

[ozstronomer]

Stunning Image Mike, the detail in the spiral arms looks fantastic.

Great job :thumbsup:

Geoff

[Placidus]

That's utterly gorgeous Mike. The same level of stunning detail that you are now routinely getting on tiny planetaries. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[el_draco]

What a stunner!

[multiweb]

Wow that's nice! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
PS: no questions - I read the blurb under the pic. :P

[Camelopardalis]

That's a beauty Mike :thumbsup:

[Stevec35]

Lovely looking image Mike.

Steve

[willik]

Hell that's different good detail top shot
Martin

[gregbradley]

A great image of a fabulously photogenic galaxy.

Greg.

[Retrograde]

What an amazing galaxy. Beautiful image Mike. :thumbsup:

[Marke]

That looks amazing

[Atmos]

Really nice Mike!
The colour and detail in the galaxy looks great!

At about 7:30 it looks like there is a faint distant galaxy cluster, love it :P

[topheart]

Hi Mike,
That is just stunning!

Beautiful!

Cheers,
Tim

[atalas]

Excellent Mike....nice tight spiral arms look splendid :thumbsup:

Yeah,the seeing around Sydney has been better than average for the last few days as well.

[strongmanmike]

Thanks again for all your responses everyone, glad you like it, she is a beauty for sure :thumbsup:

I do wish I lived in a clearer location with more steady nights at my disposal and I was closer to my rig and it was automated etc etc but because I have to travel to my observatory and baby sit it and turn the dome every 30min for up to 10hrs or more in winter in temps as low as -8.7C :scared:, I find my patience sometimes wears out on objects before multiple trips and nights have been undertaken to gather optimal exposure times ...so, I often settle on close enough is good enough :D..I still sleep well at night even if it is not perfect :) In the end, meah, I live with a little colour noise or not quite bringing out the very faintest outer arms/extensions all the time, I just enjoy recording these beauties to a respectable standard, then occasionally I do hammer and go deep and hey even discover new things :D (3 times now). Although I bang on about decon worms in images :lol:...I am definitely not a perfectionist...I drink too much beer for that :lol:

Clear skies everyone :drink:

Mike

[markas]

Truly spectacular! Great colour and detail.

Mark

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Mark :thumbsup:

[Paul Haese]

The detail in the galaxy is excellent Mike. Now on my imaging list.

[cometcatcher]

Wow that's nice. I want it. Expect a visit to your finderscope. :P

[marc4darkskies]

Superb image Mike! Detail looks great! :thumbsup:

[RickS]

An excellent image, Mike! You do pretty well for a non-perfectionist :)

[strongmanmike]

Cheers guys and I am not using my finder at the moment Kevin, so no worries :thumbsup:



:lol: ...I am perfectly deluded :P

[rustigsmed]

fantastic detail and colour Mike! cool galaxy choice too.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Rus and yes I agree, NGC 1365 attracts all the attention in Fornax :)

Mike

[markas]

Great detail and colour, Mike. Splendid image.

Mark

[GC - South Aus]

G'day Mike

That is some great work, something to be proud of!

:thumbsup:

Cheers

Gav

[strongmanmike]

Thanks Mark...needs a little more, so I will likely hammer her a bit more sometime over the next few New Moons :thumbsup:



Kind words Gav, cheers :)

[Ryderscope]

That is truely a beautiful object Mike and you have done it proud.

[alpal]

Excellent picture Mike -
keep them coming.

cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike]

Cheers guys and will do Al ;)

Mike

[vlazg]

Fantastic galaxy Mike, inspires me to have a go at one. :)

[strongmanmike]

Glad to hear it George :thumbsup:...plenty to choose from :)

Mike

[SimmoW]

Gorgeous processing Mike. Such a perfect galaxy too. I wonder if they think they're perfect?

[strongmanmike]

Oh yeah..I recon once they radio mapped their Neutral hydrogen distribution the'd realise they looked just like a dreamcatcher :D

MIke

[Ken]

Well done that was worth loosing some sleep over. So much going on in that Galaxy with central bar and so many new blue stars in the arms.
Clear skies Ken.

[Shiraz]

Crikey - that's good. A really excellent outcome for a galaxy with really low surface brightness - can't recall seeing a better image of it.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Ken :thumbsup: how you going BTW? haven't seen you post in a while :hi:



Thanks so much Ray Ban :cool3:

According to LEDA it's not a particularly low surface brightness really but it has some pretty fine delicate structure, so seeing quality is pretty important :)

Mike

[Ken]

HI Mike I have been a bit quiet lately been doing a bit of imaging but haven't posted anything. Trying my luck at planetary imaging this past week, and finding out how bad my seeing is lol. My 18" Newt. is getting a mirror recoat this week the old girl wont know herself. The 180 Mak Newt. on EQ6 mount has a guiding problem that I hope I have fixed but can't test as my laptop has died. Hopefully the planets will align next week and all will be good again,anyway this is a bit ot keep up the good work.
Clear skies Ken.

[Andy01]

top work Mike, looks amazing - very well done :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Meah a bit off topic is ok ;) Hope the 18" mirror comes up trumps, you have a great scope there. I probably already told you but a mate and I got over half way through building a massive Serrurier truss fork mounted (ala The 120" Lick reflector (https://mthamilton.ucolick.org/public/tele_inst/3m/)) 18" F5 with 16.8" Thomas Mathis drive with bronze worm etc back in the late 80's...ah sigh, took most of it to the recyclers a year or so ago :sadeyes:...My mate Attila still have the pristine drive and 18" F5 mirror and 5.5" secondary though, which have never seen starlight :eyepop:

Mike



Cheers Andy, glad you like it :)

Mike

[Slawomir]

Very nice photograph Mike. I always like how you balance colours in your images and data processing seems to be always gentle yet allowing to show interesting and faint structures :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Suavi, glad you think so :).. not perfect but I try my best with what I have :)...hey, I was quite surprised it didn't stack up against the CHART32 result though :shrug: ...but I think that must simply be the difference in focal length :question:

Mike

[Slawomir]

I think it compares quite well with Chart32 image of the same target :thumbsup:

Perhaps one difference being they appear to do on average about 8hrs of Lum per image and their RGB data seems to be 2hrs per channel? :question:

Similar to Paul, because of your work I have been seriously contemplating a fast Newtonian, only a bit concerned about possible challenges associated with venturing into fast reflector territory.

[strongmanmike]

Oooh look out :scared: don't let the upstairs Downton Abbey imagers hear the footman say that! :eyepop: :lol: One must buy only the finest exotic European optics in order to maintain the strong feeling of imaging superiority and hubris :)

Seriously, while you really can't compare imaging times between such vastly different rigs under such vastly different skies...as I have said before, the only reason I don't take more exposure time (most of the time) is cause I am not automated and I am probably a little lazy :P Having said that, I do agree my lackey micro focal length NGC 1398 could do with some more exposure :thumbsup:

Go for it, the more fast Newtonians out there the more we can take it to the old fashioned long focal length tribe :P (NB. that was a harmless little joke all you long focal length folk).

Mike