M63 - The Sunflower galaxy

swag72

swag72

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Sara
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M63 is approximately 37,000 light years from Earth in the constellation of Canes Venatici. This image was taken over 4 nights, and it totals 18 hours and 38 minutes worth of total exposure. The exposures varied in length from 150 seconds for the colour data and 30 minutes for the data that picks up the pinkish knots in the arms.


M63 - Sunflower Galaxy por swag72, en Flickr

You can see a larger version here http://swagastro.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/3/7/23377322/m63.jpg
 
Lovely image, as usual Sara. I've also got the C9.25 but you must have a really good mount/guiding setup to use it for deep sky stuff. Do you use a focal reducer?

And do you ever do any planetary stuff - Mars is coming into view quite nicely now?
 
Thanks Paul - I guide using the Off Axis Guider and have an Avalon Linear Reverse Mount that has coped really well at 2350mm - Doesn't drop a sub all night. I've taken off the focal reducer now, so f10 imaging it is!! Slow and many say impossible, but it's nice to prove to folks that it can be done.

Never done any planetary stuff - Maybe I'll give it a go some time!
 
If you do shoot Mars, Sara, see if you can catch a lockkeeper's cottage on the canals...

As for the posted shot - 'nuff sed! Excellent and interesting as always.
 
Thanks Nod! I have a quick peak at Mars the other night and it looked most uninteresting!! Anyway, I have some new gear on it's way to me, so I think most of my time for the foreseeable will be trying to sort it all out!! (y)
 
Amazing result! Where do you get clear enough skies for that length of exposure(s)? Or do you stack several exposures of a more manageable length? If you were to post a semi-detailed explanation of your method I'd greatly appreciate it.
 
Wow, impressive capture! I've never seen this done in person. Do you set it all to follow a certain point automatically and leave it shooting away, or is it fairly hands on with a lot of late nights? If a bit of cloud cover came over would that have ruined the whole picture?
 
Sid said:
Amazing result! Where do you get clear enough skies for that length of exposure(s)? Or do you stack several exposures of a more manageable length? If you were to post a semi-detailed explanation of your method I'd greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...

I am in Spain and so do get a few clear nights! All of my astro images are a number of stacked exposures. This image for example is taken through 4 different filters (the camera is mono and so it's filter combination that makes a colour image). In this case, if I take one filter as an example, there were 50 exposures, each of 150 seconds stacked together. Depending on what filter I use depends on the exposure length. For some filters I use 30 minute exposures.

CaveDweller said:
Wow, impressive capture! I've never seen this done in person. Do you set it all to follow a certain point automatically and leave it shooting away, or is it fairly hands on with a lot of late nights? If a bit of cloud cover came over would that have ruined the whole picture?
Click to expand...

Yes I do set it to track on a specified target, I go to bed and wake up in the morning and hope that there's been no cloud!! If there's just been a few clouds going over, that's OK as I take a lot of exposures, so they won't all be ruined and I just use the ones that aren't.

Carlh said:
Just jaw dropping.
Click to expand...

Thanks Carl (y)

Hope that's explained stuff a little. It's very difficult as it can be quite technical and I don't want to seem patronising, as I have no idea if people already have any astro experience. I'll happily answer specific questions in greater detail if people want.
 
Your work is fab' Sara !
And the story your website tells is superb ! :)
I can't wait to see your new gear and results !

Fred
 
This is so beautiful . An amazing achievement. Started looking at your website and your dedication and skill are just awe inspiring. Keep posting.
 
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