Seven hours comprising 14 x 30 min subs with Aspen CG16M on 20" PlaneWave CDK. Processed using GoodLook 64.
(The previous night, we'd done another 7 hours, but there were thunderstorms on the horizon, and the seeing was terrible. Even using clever masks to add it only into the faint background, it made things worse, so with running tears and holding each other tight, we waved it goodbye.)
Rather than going for the most contrasty image possible, we've processed this to show detail right down to the core, but also retain the outermost hints of spiral arms.
Unlike say Grus or Indus, there's not a lot happening in the outer field
(original image here), so the thumbnail is a tight crop. You can see that the nucleus comprises two dust lanes and five quite separate star-forming regions, all extremely close together.
The structure of the main spiral arm at top right is fascinating. It looks very three-dimensional, curving back inward on itself like a lettuce leaf, or a wave breaking, or like water sloshed out of a bowl, or perhaps like the efforts of a lawn sprinkler.
Hoping to get colour tonight and perhaps H-alpha tomorrow.
Best,
Mike and Trish