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M82

Imaging telescope or lens: RCOS 14.5"

Imaging camera: SBIG STX KAF-16803

Mount: Paramount-ME

Guiding telescope or lens: RCOS 14.5"

Software: Pixinsight 1.8

Filters: Ha 5nm, Astrodon Luminance, Astrodon Blue, Astrodon Red, Astrodon Green

Resolution: 3605x3417

Dates: Feb. 27, 2017, March 2, 2017, March 7, 2017

Frames:

Astrodon Blue: 13x1200" bin 1x1

Astrodon Green: 13x1200" bin 1x1

Astrodon Luminance: 20x1200" bin 1x1

Astrodon Luminance: 5x600" bin 1x1

Astrodon Red: 12x1200" bin 1x1

Ha 5nm: 12x1800" bin 1x1

Integration: 26.2 hours

 

I recently published a well-received version of M81, it seemed rude not to process its compatriot.

 

In order to realise all the details you could argue the image is actually a L, L, L, L, L, L, L, L, L, L, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha, RGB, RGB, RGB, RGB, RGB, RGB, rather than just a HaLRGB image!

In order to realise all the details I have been persisting with my (very time-consuming approach) of building the main layers from multiple stretches of the main frames from very dark to very light, a manual HDR (but with full control) most of the work is done in PI but the layering and masking has to be done in PS for control. I am finding at the longer focal lengths this really lets me realise all details from the dark (often washed out by brightness on such targets) to the very light, I can even stretch beyond the limit to realise the fainter details.

Anyway, hope you all like - not a quick process taking about 8 hours solid to process over a few days.

As well as realising some great detail I was pleased to see the inner structures showing well including the mushroom shape to the right and the double boundary of the left side (inner ring just about visible)

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Uploaded on April 10, 2017