Astrophotography Archives - Page 7 of 9

NGC 7331 Deer Lick Group of Galaxies and Stephan’s Quintet

Telescope / Lens	TEC 140mm f/7 Refractor
Mount Type	Astrophysics 1200
Camera	SBIG ST10XME
Filters	Astrodon LRGB
Film	CCD
Exposure	185minutes (3 hours 5 min); LRGB (L=125,RGB=60@)
Processing	CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop CS2-CS6
Date	10/25/2008
Location	25 miles SE of Cottage Grove, Oregon; 122° 52.595′ W 43° 31′ N
Conditions	4568′ magnitude 6 Skies; Clear & 5-7 m.p.h. wind

NGC 7331 (Deer Lick Group of Galaxies ) & NGC 7320 Stephens Quintet

The upper left is Stephens Quintet and the lower right is the Deer Lick group in the constellation of Pegasus. NGC 7331 the largest Galaxy in the Deer Lock group is 9° Northwest of ß Pegasi. The lower right edge of NGC7331 is pointed North and the companion galaxies are to the East. Galaxy NGC 7331 resembles what our own Milky Way galaxy would look like some 50 million light years away. This galaxy has an overall brightness of magnitude 10.3 . This group is a nice visual treat in medium to large amateur scope (10″ and up) NGC 7331 is 10.6′ x 3.8′ (the moon is 28′)

Stephens Quintet (upper left) is a small group of interacting galaxies 300 million light years away. You can see the lower two galaxies are interacting and a long arm extents from the one to the right. This detail is readily evident in the full resolution image. NGC7318A & NGC 7318B (magnitude 14) are colliding and nearby NGC 7319 (magnitude 14.4) may also be involved since it has an arm that stretches out. NGC 7320 (Mag. 13.3) is the top oblong one and NGC 7317 (14.8) is out to the left. Out further to the upper right of the main group is NGC 7320C at magnitude 16.6.

NGC 7331 Deer Lick Group of Galaxies cropped View

Galaxy NGC 7331 “Caldwell 30” 40 million light years. 12.1′ x 1.0′ magnitude 10.4. The other lenticular unbarred spirals NGC 7335, 7336 & barred spiral galaxy NGC 7340, elliptical galaxy NGC 7340. They are 332, 365, 348 and 294 million light years distant, respectively.

Discovered by William Hershel in 1784,

Stephan's Quintet NGC 731 — Stephan’s Quintet NGC 7318B Cropped View

Stephan’s Quintet is a grouping of 5 galaxies, forming a compact group of galaxies. In the constellation of Pegasus, discovered in 1877 by Edouard Stephan, also known as Hickson Compact Group 92. NGC 7318B collides with the group and a shock wave larger than our own Milky Way galaxy spread between the galaxies. NGC 7320 is only a foreground galaxy at 39 million light years. The other five form a group 220-330 million light years away.

Abell 2151 Hercules Galaxy Cluster

Telescope / Lens	TEC 140mm f/7 APO Refractor
Mount Type	Astrophysics 1200
Camera	SBIG ST10XME
Filters	Astrodon LRGB e-series of balanced filters (g-1)
Film	CCD
Exposure	4 hours 20 minutes, LRGB 20min,10 min. & 5 min. subs; RGB 4 x 5 min
Processing	CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop CS2-CS6
Date	07/24/2009
Location	Snow Peak, S/E of Cottage Grove, Oregon
Conditions	4658′ elevation, magnitude 6 Skies; Clear

Abell 2151 Hercules Galaxy Cluster

Abell 2151 Hercules Galaxy Cluster is a cluster of approximately 100 galaxies 500 to 650 million light years away within the constellation of Hercules. The brightest galaxy NGC 6050 and is interacting spiral galaxy 24″ x 18″ magnitude 15.4 , also known as NGC 6050A and NGC5060B. Data on this group continues to change as more is learned. Most current information list a general distance of 509 million light years and 300 member galaxies.

I am amazed what a 5.5″ APO Refractor can do and coupled with an SBIG ST10XME CCD (KAF3200 CCD Chip) can really go deep. The camera is one of the most sensitive front illuminated CCD chips available. The quantum efficiency is around 85-86% at peak.

So I attempted my own Deep Field, while setting up remotely here in Oregon for one night. I wanted to go as deep as I could and took over 4 hours of CCD images to capture as many galaxies as possible. My Luminous frames were 5, 10 and 20 minutes. I have counted over 200 plus galaxies in this image. The are so many tiny specs that, when compared to a Hubble Telescope image, they are in fact galaxies. I am confident some of these galaxies are over a billion light years away. In perspective, that would mean a medium sized amateur telescope and CCD went back one twelfth the age of the Universe…

You can see several interacting galaxies that are within the Hercules Cluster. While this is no-where near what larger instruments can resolve with long exposures I am pleased with what a small telescope can accomplish in one night.

Leo Trio Of Galaxies M65, M66 & NGC 3627

Telescope / Lens	TEC 140mm f/7 Refractor
Mount Type	Astrophysics 1200
Camera	SBIG ST10XME
Filters	Astrodon LRGB
Film	CCD
Exposure	165 minutes (2 hours 45 minutes); LRGB (L=120,RGB=15 each) 5 minute exposures
Processing	CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop CS2
Date	04/20/2009
Location	Eagles Ridge; 25 Miles South of Dexter, Oregon 122° 42′ 45″ W, 43° 48′ 17″N Observing site used by Eugene Astronomical Society
Conditions	3411′ elevation, magnitude 6 Skies; Clear

This trio of galaxies located in the rear leg area of the Constellation LEO, the lion. They are situated halfway between the stars Chertan (3.3 magnitude) on top and 78-Iota Leonis magnitude 4.46, on the bottom. This is a small group of galaxies 35 million light years away. Shinning at magnitude 10.3, 9.7 and 9.4 respectfully, they are visible through a good pair of binoculars or small 4-6″ telescope. Wide field eyepieces with larger aperture instruments of 12-16″ really show them well.

NGC 3628 is an edge on galaxy discovered by William Herschel in 1784. Estimated at 300,000 light years across and 35 million light years away. Apparent magnitude of 10.2 and 15′ x 3.6′ (arcminutes) in size. (Lower Right)

M 65 Galaxy NGC 3623 (Upper Right) Apparent magnitude 10.25 and 8.7′ x 2.45′

M 66 Galaxy NGC 3627 (Lower Right) 95,000 light years across, 8.9 mag. 9.1′ x 4.2′

M51 NGC 5194 Galaxy ” Whirlpool Galaxy “

Whirlpool Galaxy M51 NGC 5194

Telescope / Lens	TEC 140mm f/7
Mount Type	Astrophysics 1200
Camera	SBIG ST10XME
Filters	Astrodon LRGB
Film	CCD
Exposure	180 minutes (3 hours ); LRGB (L=120,RGB=60) 5 min. exposures
Processing	CCDSoft, CCDStack, AIP, Photoshop CS2
Date	04/20/2009
Location	North Eugene, Oregon (backyard)

Galaxy M51 NGC 5195 “Whirlpool Galaxy”
The Whirlpool Galaxy M51, is located within the constellation Canes Venatici (Hunting Dogs), just down 3.5° from the last star of the handle of the Big Dipper (URSA Major).

M51 lies 23 million light years from earth and is viewed by amateurs and professionals alike. Several background galaxies are also visible in the image. The Whirlpool Galaxy M51 (14.2 x 9.5 arc minutes) is interacting with it’s companion Galaxy NGC5195 (8.9 x 7.4 arc minutes). Both galaxies have a magnitude of 8.35 & 9.49 respectfully and are not visible to the unaided eye. The Whirlpool Galaxy is approximately 60,000 light year across. They do show up in good quality binoculars.

Charles Messier discovered M51 on October 13,1773. William Parsons, in 1845, using a 72″ reflecting telescope in Ireland, discovered the Whirlpool Galaxy had a spiral structure. It was considered a nebula until Edwin Hubble established that these so called nebula were really separate and distinct galaxies by observing Cepheid variables in the early to mid-twentieth century.

Today a good 150mm (6″) telescope can reveal the spiral structure of M51 the Whirlpool Galaxy. Good quality binoculars will show the Whirlpool Galaxy M51a a fussy spot.

Note:

The edge-on galaxy lower right is IC 4263 (UGC8470), magnitude 15.7 and 1.8 x 0.4 arcminutes in size, it lies 18 arc minutes South of M51.

M101 NGC 5457 Galaxy

Galaxy M101 NGC 5457 — Galaxy M101 (NGC 5457) Pinwheel Galaxy 21 million light years 4 hours 20 min. exposure CCD

M101 Galaxy NGC 5457 Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major

Telescope / Lens	TEC 140mm f/7
Mount Type	Astro-Physics 1200
Camera	ST10XME
Filters	Astro-Don LRGB
Film	CCD
Exposure	LRGB of 4 hours 20 minutes (L=10x20min.; color 5min. sub-frames) -20° C
Processing	CCDSoft, AIP4Win, CCDStack & Photoshop CS2
Date	7-25-2009
Location	Snow Peak, 30 miles SE of Cottage Grove, Oregon 122° 52′ 35″ W 43° 31′ 21″ N
Conditions	4670′ magnitude 6.0 Skies; Clear & Steady

Galaxy M101 (NGC 5457) is located in the constellation Ursa Major (The Great Bear). This spiral galaxy, also called “The Pinwheel Galaxy”, is magnitude 7.86 and is 28.6′ x 26.5′ in size. This shows up well in medium sized scopes at a dark sky site. Galaxy M101 is 21 million lights years distant & 170,000 light years across with 1 Trillion stars. Discovered by Charles Messier March 27, 1781.

The longer you image this galaxy, more details continue to surface while arms continue to grow in size. The hundreds of background galaxies that are visible is astounding. This is because we are looking out and up from the central region of our own Milky Way Galaxy which obscures our view of space. I have estimated that some of these background galaxies are 20-50 times more distant.

M 101 is one of the best face-on spirals visible through amateur telescopes. This galaxy is comparable to the size of our own Milky Way Galaxy. M101 has 5 prominent companion galaxies: NGC 5204, NGC 5474, NGC 5477, NGC 5585 & Holmberg IV. The gravitational interaction of these have shaped M101