NGC 4889 and the Coma Galaxy Group

These images blow my mind. There are the three more obvious galaxies (NGC 4889, 4874, 4921), but there are so many beyond that the mind reaches saturation. This image has more galaxies than stars.

 

It wasn't that long ago when we humans thought the Milky Way was the entire universe and not too far beyond that when our concept of the universe shrunk to well within our own solar system. Beyond that it shrunk to a few spheres hovering over the Earth.

 

I think Carl Sagan said astronomy is a humbling pursuit.

 

 

Equipment

Imaging Telescopes Or Lenses

Meade Starfinder 8 f/6 Newtonian OTA

Imaging Cameras

ZWO ASI1600MM

Mounts

Losmandy GM8 / GM8G

Filters

Baader Neodymium Moon & Skyglow 2" · Meade Blue 2" · Meade Green 2" · Meade Red 2"

Accessories

Baader 2" MPCC Mark III Newton Coma Corrector (2458400A) · OnStep Telescope Mount Goto Controller · Rigel Systems Stepper motor

Software

Adobe Photoshop · Aries Productions Astro Pixel Processor (APP) · Open PHD Guiding Project PHD2 · Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)

Guiding Telescopes Or Lenses

SVBony SV106 60mm Guide Scope

Guiding Cameras

ZWO ASI120MM

 

 

Acquisition details

Dates:

Jan. 28, 2023 · Jan. 29, 2023

Frames:

Baader Neodymium Moon & Skyglow 2": 76×120″(2h 32′) bin 2×2

Meade Blue 2": 60×120″(2h) bin 2×2

Meade Green 2": 30×120″(1h) bin 2×2

Meade Red 2": 60×120″(2h) bin 2×2

Integration:

7h 32′

Avg. Moon age:

7.71 days

Avg. Moon phase:

53.49%

Basic astrometry details

Astrometry.net job: 7091159

 

RA center: 13h00m00s.7

 

DEC center: +27°59′09″

 

Pixel scale: 0.637 arcsec/pixel

 

Orientation: 106.509 degrees

 

Field radius: 0.509 degrees

 

Find images in the same area

Resolution: 3353x4667

 

File size: 12.6 MB

 

Data source: Backyard

Done