Captured with a Sony A7R V camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ scope with a Hutech HEUIB-II filter on a Celestron Evolution mount; 67x30 sec. subs @ ISO3200.

Alignment, stacking and initial stretch done in PixInsight. The remainder of the postprocessing was done in Lightroom and Photoshop (A-P).

The first image shows the full frame image. The second image concentrates on Markarian's Chain at the top of the field-of-view.

Enjoy!

bwa

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Markarian's Chain of Galaxies

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Captured with a Sony A7R V camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ scope with a Hutech HEUIB-II filter on a Celestron Evolution mount; 66x30 sec. subs @ ISO3200.

Alignment, stacking and initial stretch done in PixInsight. The remainder of the postprocessing was done in Lightroom and Photoshop (A-P). Colorized to some extent.

Enjoy!

bwa

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Ever heard of a viewfinder!?

bwa

Used a QHY462C camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ telescope with a Hershel Wedge and Baader K-Line filter, mounted on an Evolution mount.

Shot several video sessions of 1000 frames each and processed for the best ten frames in PIPP then manually picked the best of the best for final postprocessing in Lightroom/Photoshop. Several sessions with a 2.5x PowerMate and one without. I tried a 5x PowerMate but the atmosphere was not co-operative!

A couple of LARGE active areas coming around the left edge of ol' Sol. They should make for some interesting imaging over the next week or so and maybe some Aurora activity as well.

Enjoy!

bwa

Pano of two sessions w/ no PowerMate

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With 2.5x PowerMate


With 2.5x PowerMate


With 2.5x PowerMate


With 2.5x PowerMate

But first it would take you 35 million years to get to the galaxy before you could start your test... then it would take another 300,000 years to travel from one end to the other. You could start with the Milky Way, it is only 100,000-120,000 light-years wide. A much shorter trip would be Earth to Sun; 8 light minutes.

This kind of mental exercise may explain why we haven't seen any aliens in the neighborhood, i.e.: they haven't developed FTL travel either!

However, I believe I've found civilizations in the Andromeda galaxy, a mere 2.5 million light-years away. All those blue areas, about 3/4's of the way out from the core, show light pollution!

bwa

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The wordy description:
NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah’s Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy located approximately 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. This intriguing galaxy possesses an approximately 300,000 light-years long tidal tail.

Notable features of NGC 3628 include:

- Type: SAb pec (unbarred spiral with peculiar features)
- Apparent Magnitude (V): 9.5
- Apparent Size (V): Approximately 14’ × 3.6’
- Leo Triplet: NGC 3628, along with M65 and M66, forms a small group of galaxies known as the Leo Triplet
- Dust Band: The most conspicuous feature of NGC 3628 is the broad and obscuring band of dust along the outer edge of its spiral arms, effectively transecting the galaxy from our view on Earth
- X-Shaped Bulge: Simulations suggest that NGC 3628 may actually be a barred spiral galaxy with the bar seen end-on due to the presence of an x-shaped bulge visible in multiple wavelengths
- Names: The whimsical name “Hamburger Galaxy” refers to its shape resembling a hamburger, while “Sarah’s Galaxy” is thought to honor poet Sarah Williams, known for the poem “The Old Astronomer”

bwa

bwa

Captured with a Sony A7R V camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ scope with a Lumicon Deep Sky filter on a Celestron Evolution mount; 112x30 sec. subs @ ISO3200.

Alignment, stacking and initial stretch done in PixInsight. The remainder of the postprocessing was done in Lightroom and Photoshop (A-P).

If you look closely at this image you'll see at least two, probably three, additional small galaxies.

Enjoy!

bwa

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I'll shoot it again when the weather is a bit better...

For the present here is another attempt at the processing...

bwa

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Loaded my (unmodded) Sony A7R V camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ scope with a Lumicon Deep Sky filter on a Celestron Evolution mount and shot 245x15 sec. subs (~1 hour) @ ISO3200 of the Rosette Nebula.

I fought cloud most of the session and ultimately discarded 73 subs due to 'foggy' stars.

Alignment, stacking and initial stretch done in PixInsight. The remainder of the postprocessing was done in Lightroom and Photoshop (A-P).

Enjoy!

bwa

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A reasonable day for some solar imaging.

Used a QHY462C camera and Astro-Tech 65EDQ telescope with a Hershel Wedge and Baader K-Line filter, mounted on an Evolution mount.

Shot two video sessions of 1000 frames each and processed for the best ten frames in PIPP then manually picked the best of the best for final postprocessing in Lightroom/Photoshop. One session with a 2.5x PowerMate and one without.

Not much happening on Ol' Sol today so a good day to play with settings, etc. I found a better way to focus on solar features by accident. I was having problems seeing anything on my laptop monitor due to bright sunshine and a white t-shirt so attached an external Desview monitor. It had Focus Peaking functionality which made getting a good focus quite easy. Gotta remember this for future solar and lunar imaging.

Enjoy!

bwa

Without PowerMate

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With 2.5x PowerMate

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By the time administration costs, CEO costs, etc., ad nauseam are consider, most charities are simply a money grab! I don't trust any of them to do any good for their so called causes.

bwa

You'll be very happy with RX10 IV

bwa

All of those would freeze to death up here...

bwa

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