Galaxy Images

M82 captured with an ASI224MC planetary camera

The Leo Triplet, taken with my WO GT81, bringing together an hour of 1 minute subs.

M81 and M82 taken using a 200mm lens f/3.5 with a single step down ring from 58 to 55mm aperture. 23 x 30s frames at ISO 800 atop the iOptron Skytracker.

M31
Messier 31 the Andromeda Galaxy, taken with a William Optics GT81 and a Field Flattener 6

 

Messier 101 the Pinwheel Galaxy
A cropped section of the original frame.

 

M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, taken with 29 x 60s frames. This is my 3rd or 4th shot at this target, and each time I have taken more frames, and wished I had stayed up later to grab some more. Maybe 60 next time?!
M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, taken with 29 x 60s frames. This is my 3rd or 4th shot at this target, and each time I have taken more frames, and wished I had stayed up later to grab some more. Maybe 60 next time?!

 

M104 Sombrero galaxy in Virgo
My first image of the M104 Sombrero galaxy in Virgo, taken with 16 x 60s frames at ISO 800.

 

M64 in Coma
M64 in Coma, taken with 13 x 60s light frames and 4 x 60s darks, at ISO 800. It needs more exposure time, and I need to find some larger targets now that I have the GT81s field of view.

 

M31 Andromeda Galaxy. This shot was a quick test of the new WO GT81. It was made from 3 frames of 90s, at ISO 800. No dark frames (I clean forgot in all my excitement).
M31 Andromeda Galaxy. This shot was a quick test of the new WO GT81. It was made from 3 frames of 90s, at ISO 800. No dark frames (I clean forgot in all my excitement).

 

M51 Whirpool Galaxy.
M51 Whirpool Galaxy. The classic face-on spiral, the Whirlpool in the constellation of Canes Venatici can be glimpsed visually in a small refractor under decent skies. I need to revisit it as an imaging target. With the WO Megrez 90 and about 30 minutes of sub-frames, it is still ill-defined. ‘Always worth another go!

 

M33 Triangulum Galaxy.
M33 Triangulum Galaxy. This shot used 20 x 90s frames at ISO 800. As usual I got a bit lost in Paint Shop Pro, and had to try several times to produce an image with some colour that didn’t look too strange. The galaxy turned out to be a better imaging target than I had originally thought.

 

M81 and M82 in Ursa Major, the odd couple.
M81 (aka Bode’s Galaxy) and M82 (aka the Cigar Galaxy) in Ursa Major. Easy to find and interesting to view or image.

 

M86 and M84
M86 and M84 and a few other members of the famous Virgo Cluster of galaxies