First go at NGC-55

[Garyh]

Hi All again,
This is my latest image and the first of the irregular barred spiral NGC-55.
I can never see the bar in it but here it is! I am quiet happy with the result and its one of the longest handguided exposures for me totaling 1-1/2 hrs.
I go a bit crosseyed by the end of the session...
Image is 18 x 5 min at iso 800 taken with 6" f/5.6 newt and Canon 300d taken on thursday night with fairly good seeing though smoky.
Like usual stacked in Deepskystacker and finished off in PS.
Wasn`t so hard on noise removal as I am usually so I have preserved some of the finer details. I think it is one of my best galaxy images to date. You can even make out lots of small fuzzies in the background!
Some Jpg compression artifacts present in this small version.
All comments most welcome!
cheers Gary

[iceman (Mike)]

Excellent image Gary, a galaxy I want to capture soon!

Very well done.

[xelasnave]

That sounds like hard work... but what a great result... you should be very happy that is a great capture.
alex

[h0ughy (David)]

Nice work Gary, some excellent detail there for a DSLR, those antsy pantsy CCD boys might take notice soon. (probably find my bed short sheeted and a bomb under the car for that comment)

[Lee]

Excellent work Gary....
How's the observatory coming along???

[RB (Andrew)]

Wow fantastic work Gary and a marathon hand guiding session.
Nice pinpoint stars and smooth detail.

Excellent !

[jase (Jason)]

Great image Gary. It is clearly evident that plenty of exposures do justice, providing a good S/N ratio. A heroic effort guiding has returned a very rewarding image. Well done.

[Garyh]

Originally Posted by iceman

Excellent image Gary, a galaxy I want to capture soon!

Very well done.

Thanks Mike for that!...certainly worth giving it a go as its quiet a unusual galaxy..cheers

Originally Posted by xelasnave

That sounds like hard work... but what a great result... you should be very happy that is a great capture.
alex

cheers Alex.. yeap its rather tedious and a pain in the neck but well worth it!

Originally Posted by h0ughy

Nice work Gary, some excellent detail there for a DSLR, those antsy pantsy CCD boys might take notice soon. (probably find my bed short sheeted and a bomb under the car for that comment)

Houghy Houghy Houghy, you`l open a big bag of worms saying that..
your`e cooled DSLR would come close to giving them a good floggin..
thanks for the comment..
cheers

Originally Posted by plasmodium

Excellent work Gary....
How's the observatory coming along???

Thanks Lee!. nearly finished, finished off the roof yesterday and put in a false floor and gave it a few coats of paint today...nearly there. Have to take a pic of it! Another few weeks should see it all finished..still have to give it all another coat of paint.

Originally Posted by Rocket Boy

Wow fantastic work Gary and a marathon hand guiding session.
Nice pinpoint stars and smooth detail.

Excellent !

thanks for that Andrew...will be glad to autoguide but...
cheers

Originally Posted by jase

Great image Gary. It is clearly evident that plenty of exposures do justice, providing a good S/N ratio. A heroic effort guiding has returned a very rewarding image. Well done.

Thanks Jase, definably does help to get over a hour worth of exposure! I would love to get 2 hours but my eyes and my neck would give out. But I am quiet pleased with it!
cheers...

[Geoff45 (Geoff)]

Great image Gary. You should give autoguiding a go. Once you try it, you'll never look back.
Geoff

[Alchemy (Clive)]

Very nice capture....it just shows what lots of exposures can do to improve the image.... must write that down somewhere

[Ric]

Very nice Gary, you've captured some great detail and the colour is very natural looking.

Cheers

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

im surprised your 6" scope captures more details than a 10"!! greatt shot gary. heaps of details in the core.