NGC 5247 Virgo 4-armed spiral (gentler version)

[Placidus]

This unassuming little Grand Design unbarred spiral is very rarely imaged.

Big version here. (https://photos.smugmug.com/Category/Astrophotography-at-Placidus/i-RL6PsHs/0/f1b2b9b3/O/NGC%205247%20L%2013h30%20RGB%202hrs %20each.jpg)

Although ours isn't much, perhaps even awful, we believe it to be the fourth best in the world, mostly because it is small, faint, and no-one else has done it. There is your image, of course, which will be better. Then there is the ESO VLT image from Paranal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_5247#/media/File:HAWK-I_NGC_5247.jpg) in infrared, and a truly superb image from Capella observatory (http://www.capella-observatory.com/images/Galaxies/NGC5247.jpg) in the high desert in Namibia.

What ours does have: it is far deeper than the other three. Notice the broad, faint extension of the spiral toward six o'clock, which does not appear elsewhere.

Aspen CG16M on 20 inch PlaneWave. Lum 13.5 hrs, RGB 2 hrs each in 30 min subs. Image scale 0.55 sec arc / pixel.

Edit: First version was over-sharpened. Attached is a more natural-looking thumbnail. We've edited the full version in situ.

Best,
Mike and Trish

[h0ughy]

Fantastic results. It is a lot deeper than the others

[willik]

I like the big version it looks it as more detail and sharper
very nice image indeed.
Martin

[multiweb]

The color turned out really nice and that faint arm is showing nicely too. Very cool. :thumbsup:

[RickS]

What a pretty little galaxy! Beautifully done, M&T.

[Atmos]

You may not have the resolution of the professionals but you definitely have the depth! Very nicely captured MnT!

I'm afraid Mike is going to have his decon radar spiking though :lol:

[Placidus]

Thanks Houghy!



Cheers, Martin, glad you like it.



Thanks muchly Marc. We're a bit puzzled as to why the focus star before each sub was about 3.5 pixels FWHM, but the 30 min subs had an FWHM more like 5.7 pixels. Something is going wrong, either with guiding (guide stars were pretty pathetic) or with motor control or just perhaps with the camera itself leaking charge with time.



Thanks Rick!



Aye, Colin, we thought that with Strong Mike in Texas we might get away with it. We'd better have another version ready pronto.

Best,
Mike and Trish

[Andy01]

Nice work team - Beautiful target and great depth indeed. :thumbsup:
A tad contrasty perhaps though? :question:
Your Sombrero was less processed looking - not sure exactly how to describe that but hopefully you'll get my meaning :D

[Placidus]

You were right, colleagues. With Strong Mike away, the mice will play. We overdid the sharpening and contrast. Here is the same link, but to a more gentle and natural looking version.

Big version here. (https://photos.smugmug.com/Category/Astrophotography-at-Placidus/i-RL6PsHs/0/f1b2b9b3/O/NGC%205247%20L%2013h30%20RGB%202hrs %20each.jpg)

Best,
MnT

[RickS]

We should just get Mike some blurry glasses :lol:

[Atmos]

Much improved :thumbsup:

[gregbradley]

I'll be the contrarian and say I prefer the original. Love the way you got those Ha areas. It doesn't look oversharpened to me.

You often have a sprinkling of green stars. Keep in mind airglow in an otherwise totally dark sky can give green light pollution. Some nights it can be quite intense. See this nightscape:

http://www.pbase.com/gregbradley/image/150003598/large

That green is not accentuated and was real. That was the greenest night I have seen. I did not know the sky was often green until I started doing nightscapes. Now I see it more often than I don't.

It often confused me how come I was getting excess green in some images despite imaging in a near zero light pollution site. Airglow was the answer.

HALVG is a free plugin for Photoshop and is a Photoshop version of SCNR noise reduction tool in PixInsight. It gets rid of the excess green and makes it way easier to balance the colour.

Greg

[Paul Haese]

Looks like a tough little sucker. Not seen an image of it before either. Well done team.

[Placidus]

Thanks for the thoughtful comments and the gorgeous green light pollution image.

Because I'm colourblind, I've just written an automatic green star finder. You were right: it found 'em. Things will be under control shortly!



Thanks Paul, that's encouraging.

Best,
Mike

[strongmanmike]

Well...I'm back Ya'll...what a trip I just had!. Sheesh including a whole clear night on the Hooker 100 inch (eg. two stars without averted vision inside the Ring Nebula!!!) ...wow :eyepop:...any way, I'm sitting at Sydney airport waiting for my flight to Canberra and catching up with some IIS images.:)

This looks bloody good guys the colour is superb, so vibrant :thumbsup: the galaxy shape is so cool too. I recon it looks best in the second version, always a fine line and while bloody tired I'm flying on cloud 9 at the moment so a little decon residue is ok by me :hi:

Mike.

[Placidus]

Thanks, Mike! Welcome back. We are absorbing your 100 inch cloud nine glow right across the Blue Mountains and half way down the western slopes.

[Geoff45]

Very deep and colourful. I think you are underating it by comparisoon with those pics in the link.

[topheart]

Great image guys!


Welcome back Mike!
Cheers,
Tim

[codemonkey]

Don't think I've seen this one before, thanks for sharing it. Beautiful galaxy... I think it looks a bit oversharpened to my eye still, starting to look a bit wormy.

I may given this one a shot myself, weather permitting

[Camelopardalis]

That's a beauty M&T :thumbsup:

Don't think I'll be trying this one with my 4"... :lol:

[Ryderscope]

Stunning, deep and a wonder to behold :-)

[Placidus]

Thanks, Geoff, that's kind.



Thanks, Tim.



We eagerly await your version, Lee!



Thanks Dunk. Your beast would be better for getting some of the galaxy groupings nearby.



Many thanks Rodney, we are much enheartened.

Best,
MnT