|
|
|
Instrument |
Takahashi FSQ-106ED @
f/5.0 (530 mm F.L.) Captured at 2.1 arcsec/pixel. The Zoomify
image scale is 4.2 to 10.19 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. |
|
Acquisition Data |
1/8/2013 to 3/15/2013 Chino Valley, AZ... with CCDAutoPilot5
& CCDSoft. Off-axis guided. |
|
Exposure |
|
Lum |
1690
min. (169 x 10 min. bin 1x1) |
|
Red |
180 min. (18 x
10 min. bin 1x1) |
|
Green
|
210 min. (21 x 10 min.
bin 1x1)
|
|
Blue
|
260 min. (26 x 10 min.
bin 1x1)
|
|
|
Software |
-
CCDSoft, CCDStack,
Photoshop CS6, PixInsight and Noel Carboni's actions.
-
eXcalibrator v4.0 for
(u-g), (g-r) color balancing, using 20 stars from the SDSS-DR9
database.
-
CCDStack to calibrate, register,
normalize, data reject, combine the sub exposures and create the RGB
image.
-
PixInsight for gradient removal and
initial non-linear stretching.
-
PhotoShop for the LRGB combine & 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
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