Instrument

Takahashi FSQ-106ED @ f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.) Captured at 2.1 arcsec/pixel.  Shown at 4.2 and 9.00 arcsec/pixel.

Mount

Losmandy G11 with Gemini L4 v1.0

Camera

SBIG STF-8300M Self Guiding Package w/ mono ST-i, using Baader LRGB filters and an AstroDon 5nm Ha filter.

Acquisition Data

1/24/2015 to 3/22/2015 Chino Valley, AZ... with CCDSoft & CCD Commander.

Exposure

eXcalibrator RGB combine ratios are 1.00, 1.20 & 1.49

Software & Processing Notes

• CCDSoft, CCDStack, PixInsight and Photoshop CS6.

• eXcalibrator v4.25 for (g:r) color balancing, using 336 stars from the SDSS-DR9 database.

• CCDStack to calibrate, register, normalize, data reject, combine the sub exposures and create the Ha and RGB images.

• PixInsight processing includes the initial non-linear stretching with HistogramTransformation & MaskedStretch. LocalHistogramEqualization and HDRMultiscaleTransform were used to enhance the detail.

• PhotoShop for the L(Ha) R(ha):G:B combine and final touch-up.

• Noiseware 5, a PhotoShop plug-in.

Comment

North is to the top.

Large galaxies and faint nebulae highlight this deep image of the M81 Group of galaxies. First and foremost in the wide-angle view is the grand design spiral galaxy M81, the largest galaxy visible in the image. M81 is gravitationally interacting with M82 just above it, a big galaxy with an unusual halo of filamentary red-glowing gas. Around the image many other galaxies from the M81 Group of galaxies can be seen. Together with other galaxy congregates including our Local Group of galaxies and the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, the M81 Group is part of the expansive Virgo Supercluster of Galaxies. This whole galaxy menagerie is seen through the faint glow of an Integrated Flux Nebula, a little studied complex of diffuse gas and dust clouds in our Milky Way Galaxy.

Source: NASA APOD