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Messier 101 in Ursa Major 2020-03-22 & 23

Aberkenfig, South Wales

Lat +51.542 Long -3.593

 

Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian Reflector, Olympus E410 at prime focus. EQ6 Syntrek Mount.

 

Better known as The Pinwheel Galaxy, located in The Constellation of Ursa Major.

 

A fairly reasonable outcome for a target that appears as a very faint smudge when observed through the eyepiece.

 

A little bit grainy here and there, but another demonstration of what can be achieved using an old digital SLR and a 254mm aperture telescope.

 

A little bit of work was needed on the curves & levels in the final processing.

 

10 x 60s at 1600 ISO.

15 x 60s at 800 ISO.

10 x 50s at 800 ISO

Also 10 dark frames.

 

Imaging session commenced at 23:44 UT 2020-03-22.

 

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker and final levels & curves adjusted with G.I.M.P.

 

The image displays coma towards the edges. This is is one drawback of a parabolic f/4.8 Newtonian.

 

 

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Uploaded on March 24, 2020
Taken on March 22, 2020