[AstroFest] Blown across the northern horizon (M33)
Folks,
In the north, often known as the Triangulum galaxy after the inconspicuous constellation in its foreground, or sometimes the Pinwheel galaxy - not to be confused with the more obvious pinwheel, M101...
Or just M33
Collected over 3 late nights, with seeing that can only have claimed to be average at best, these photons found their way down the tube of my Esprit 100 and excited my ASI1600MM-Cool.
With its low surface brightness, this beast of a galaxy is a tricky one to process (in my limited experience), needless to say, critique and suggestions welcomed as always...
Never tried that one, not in 14 years, because it's so low in the north.
Thanks M&T! It scrapes 30 degrees up here, so just about doable. A winter trip to the top end is soooo tempting, I know there's good stuff to be had in Cassiopeia
Quote:
Originally Posted by multiweb
Nice colours. Had a go at it last year. Certainly a lot higher than Sydney.
Thanks Marc! Those extra 7 degrees can make all the difference
Great Image Dunk, Processing looks good on my monitor
I assume this was with your ZWO 1600? I'm curious on the number of subs you collected and what exposure length was each frame
Thanks Geoff! Yep, taken with the 1600. Luminance was gain 100, 45x 2 minutes, RGB are gain 200 45x 2m. Still needs more subs...peeping at the 100%, there is still a little noise. Imperceptible at 25% scale for IIS.
An excellent M33 Dunk, especially from southern skies, very natural processing too, a great looking galaxy
I can just make this baby out naked eye from my observatory site here just outside Canberra, my Northern sky is my darkest and lately when it transits in the early hours and with averted vision, there she is and a bit lower down, so is big'ol Andromeda. ...not sure I'll bother hitting either of'em with the FSQ though (when I finally get it out there)...?
They're (just) a little easier from up here, and I had a lot of fun with the binoculars on those nights, chasing the galaxies, and of course M45 and Orion weren't far behind <sigh>
Very nice Dunk! Even with a bad FWHM it still looks like a sharp and detailed image.
Apparently it get a whopping 22º above my horizon! I have a feeling that might be below my fence line where I'm setup.