This is a rarely image galaxy in Hydra. It's surprisingly 180 million light years away, so its apparent dimensions are rather modest, listed at 4.2' X 3.5' in size. In this image however its faintest extensions cover an area closer to 7' X 6'.
There appears to be little to no HII regions visible, probably because of the great distance but also the low level of colour data I collected may have played a part here too?..I really needed to collect some more red data and then perhaps some little flecks of red HII would have revealed themselves, but I was keen to make it a single night image
All data was collected in a single night, 7hrs in total but 3 sub frames were rejected due to poor seeing and an easterly wind blowing directly into the dome opening and buffeting the OTA (it is actually a rare thing for me to have to chuck sub frames ).
I like the complex structure of the skinny arms...reminds me of a Huntsman spider for some reason...
There is some capture info under the image, hope you enjoy something most haven't seen before...lots of cool distant stuff floating around in the background too
A fabulous galaxy image. I imagine the Milky Way looks a lot like this one.
Great colours and the stars look terrific as well.
Greg.
Cheers Greg While we have a short bar, apparently, I don't think the Milky Way has that complete inner ring structure
Quote:
Originally Posted by markas
Mike,
Great detail - it is, after all a pretty small target!
The bunch of other galaxies are an added bonus. (Also very well resolved)
A really fine image.
Mark
Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert_T
puts me in mind of a fireworks wheel. Great detail, and even more amazing considering the small apparent object size, and nicely processed.
Thanks a lot Mark and Robert The seeing was pretty varied and for periods during capture (I baby sit my rig) I was a little worried (as I often am ) because some of the subs coming down were obviously seeing affected buuuut it improved as the galaxy climbed towards the meridian (not a surprise) and some of the Lum subs were excellent, so I was preeeetty confident I had captured enough of these to put together something ok, phew
Quote:
Originally Posted by PKay
A truly superb capture Mike.
Very well processed and setting the 'bar' high as usual.
Thanks Allan, no, not very many shots of it out there...everyone is too busy hitting bigger and brighter buggers
Mike
Hi Mike,
Of course they are however the images that will be
remembered most are the ones of galaxies that no one else has imaged
and they may be the ones that end up in the data websites such as Index to the New General Catalog, Index Catalog, and Principal Galaxies Catalog Pages
Holy Lightspeed Batman - 180 million LY distant?
Now that's something you don't see every day!
Well done Mike
Cheers Andy, yeah Pangea was just breaking up when the light collected here left that galaxy...rather sobering...
Quote:
Originally Posted by alpal
Hi Mike,
Of course they are however the images that will be
remembered most are the ones of galaxies that no one else has imaged
and they may be the ones that end up in the data websites such as Index to the New General Catalog, Index Catalog, and Principal Galaxies Catalog Pages
It's good to find galaxies (or any targets really) that haven't been targeted often, just because it is interesting and fun to reveal stuff that many of us haven't seen before, they don't have to be 25hr+ efforts all the time either, just enjoying the object for what it is and the cool differences, is often enough for me
Yeah, t'is I guess?..I hadn't seen an image of it before soooo... it got the Sidonio una notte treatment ie a few beers, coffee, Macca's on the way home...with a side of galaxy
).
) because some of the subs coming down were obviously seeing affected 
buuuut it improved as the galaxy climbed towards the meridian (not a surprise) and some of the Lum subs were excellent, so I was preeeetty confident I had captured enough of these to put together something ok, phew 
