Ngc 6744

[RickS]

I've been quiet for a few weeks on hols and a work trip overseas, but I'm baaack now :lol:

NGC 6744 is a Milky Way-like spiral galaxy approximately 30 million light-years away in the Southern constellation of Pavo. The satellite galaxy at approximately 11 o'clock is NGC 6744A.

Captured at Heaven's Mirror observatory (Martin Pugh) at Yass, NSW.

Scope: Planewave CDK17 @ f/6.8 = 2939mm FL
Mount: Paramount ME
Camera: SBIG STXL-11002/AOX
Filters: Astrodon LRGB gen II, 3nm NB
Image scale: 0.63 arcsec/pixel
Exposures: 9x1200s R, 15x1200s G, 15x1200s B, 21x1200s L, 12x1800s x2 Ha (26 hours)
Processing: PixInsight 1.8.5

High res version available on Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/full/358546/0/

Comments and constructive criticism appreciated.

Cheers,
Rick.

[atalas]

:jawdrop::jawdrop::jawdrop:fully sick :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:and :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Fantastic image of this galaxy Rick, the equipment and supplied data is top quality for sure but your processing is spot on, very nice job :thumbsup:

Mike

[troypiggo]

Best I can recall of 6744.

Dumb question - wondering about the reason less subs in R than the others. Is it because the Ha picks up the shortfall to some extent? Or was the S/N good enough to stop at 6?

[cometcatcher]

That image is Devine. Heavenly even. I don't recall seeing better either.

[RickS]

Thanks, Louie!



Thanks, Mike. For a change I don't think I went too far with the contrast and saturation. Maybe I got away with the decon too :lol:



Ta, Troy. It was a typo... actually 9x1200s Red. I would have liked more but that's all we managed to get so far between weather and moon. You make do with what you have :)

[LewisM]

Oompahpah, oompahpah that's how it goes...

[omegacrux]

I don't normally comment on stuff
But geez I like this one

David

[Peter Ward]

An A-list image.

Well done. :thumbsup:

[Placidus]

Rick (and Martin) that's an astonishing image. Superbly done.

[Benjamin]

Wow! Loved panning around the image and taking it in all that lovely detail and colour, and finding all those other tiny galaxies in the background.

[multiweb]

Hubblesque! :eyepop: Top shelf. That CDK's singing. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

Superb Rick. Top notch.

Greg.

[Retrograde]

Uh oh Rick's back... :D

Fabulous image. Love it.

[Capella_Ben]

Got to echo everyone else's comments - Superb!!!

[Stevec35]

Nothing much to say Rick except that that's a superbly detailed NGC 6744. Well done!

Cheers

Steve

[RickS]

Thanks, Kevin.



Not my kind of music, Lewis, but thanks, I think :lol:



Thanks, David.



Thanks, Peter.



Ta, M&T.



Thanks, Ben.



It is indeed, thanks Marc.



Thanks, Greg.



Thanks, Pete. Back just in time for Astrofest :)



Thanks, Ben.



Thanks, Steve.

[Ryderscope]

Excellent data and processing.

Am pleased to see you back from your break Rick.

[Slawomir]

Spectacular Rick! My better half really likes this image too :thumbsup:

I may yet one day convert and try astro-imaging with a reflector...

[RobF]

Love this object, and that's the best I've seen of it too.
Top shelf stuff Rick. Quite faint and a challenge to process from memory.

Do you have a rig at Martin's Yass set up now too? (cue green envy emoticon!)

[alpal]

Hi Rick,
That's a spectacular picture.
I my opinion it's better than 2 APODS I found.


https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170526.html


https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140808.html


Only a closeup - Hubble APOD shows more of the core:
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180531.html


cheers
Allan

[Andy01]

:bowdown::bowdown::bowdown: Absolutely outstanding Rick!
I've come back to view this a few times over the past few days and I think it's a benchmark image for deep space imagers to aspire to.
Very well done indeed!

[willik]

Top shot Rick looks great the detail stands out
Martin:eyepop:

[RickS]

Thanks, Rodney. Roll on retirement when I'll have time to travel and to process all that data :lol:



Thanks, Suavi and Mrs Suavi! That's close to heresy from a confirmed refractorphile :D



Thanks, Rob. It is a difficult object but great data helps. The gear is Martin's but watch this space. Setting up in Chile :thumbsup:



Thanks, Allan!



Very kind of you, Andy.



Thanks, Martin.

[OzEclipse]

Beautiful Rick! !!:eyepop:

[markas]

Superb result!


Mark

[Camelopardalis]

Stunning Rick :eyepop: :thumbsup:

The IIS thumbnail doesn’t do it justice...the full size is a must-see.

[RickS]

Thanks, Joe.



And Mark!



Ta, Dunk.

[Atmos]

This has to be the best rendition of this galaxy I've seen!

[RickS]

Thanks, Colin!

[topheart]

Wonderful image Rick!
Cheers,
Tim

[RickS]

Thanks, Tim.

[Paul Haese]

Nice Rick, real nice. Detail in the galaxy arms is excellent. Like I said I have been collecting data on this object for a few years. I will most likely need to start collecting again next year. I just did not get to it again early enough this year. I hope I can get something similar to this image, but Martin's CDK is a lovely scope and I doubt I can get mine looking as sharp as this image.

[petershah]

a wonderful shot there Rick...great colour and detail :thumbsup:

[RickS]

Thanks, Paul & Peter.

[peter_4059]

I missed this one. Top shelf as always Rick.

[RickS]

Thanks, Peter!

[tornado33]

No criticism at all, as perfect as can be. How many nights was it captured over? The seeing there is very good too I imagine.

[RickS]

Thanks. Data captured over approx 14 nights between 3 June and 2 Aug. The AO unit certainly appears to help with the resolution.

[vlazg]

Fantastic image Rick, nothing overdone, absolutely perfect, an image to be very proud of

[RickS]

Thanks, George!