A stupendous string of galaxies stretches across the sky in the direction of Virgo, part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. Containing Messier objects as well as many NGC objects, the group was named after Astrophysicist Benjamain Markarian, who discovered their common motion. Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -20C and Gain:139 Offset:21 Software Bisque MyT Mount Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8 Software: Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8 Lightroom CC Photoshop CC Light Frames: Luminance: 188 x 60 secs (3 hrs 8 mins) Red: 76 x 60 secs (1 hr 16 mins) Green: 70 x 60 secs (1 Hr 10 mins) Blue: 80 x 60 secs (1 Hr 20 mins) 6 hrs 38 mins total Dark Frames: 20 x 60 secs (20 mins) Bias Frames 30 Flat Frames 20 each filter
his is almost 4 hours of data in LRGB on a strangely shaped pair of galaxies, usually referred to as the Whale and Hockey Stick Galaxies. The larger Whale Galaxy (NGC4631) also has a dwarf companion galaxy (NGC4627) just to the right of it in this image. Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -20C and Gain:139 Offset:21 Software Bisque MyT Mount Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8 Software: Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8 Lightroom CC Photoshop CC Light Frames: Luminance: 56 x 60 secs (56 mins) Red: 56 x 60 secs (56 mins) Green: 54 x 60 secs (54 mins) Blue: 54 x 60 secs (54 mins) Total Duration: 3 hrs 40 mins Dark Frames: 20 x 60 secs (20 mins) More details from Wikipedia: NGC 4631 (also known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a herring or a whale, hence its nickname.[3] Because this nearby galaxy is seen edge-on from Earth, professional astronomers observe this galaxy to better understand the gas and stars located outside the plane of the galaxy. NGC 4631 has a nearby companion dwarf elliptical galaxy, NGC 4627. NGC 4627 and NGC 4631 together were listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as an example of a "double galaxy" or a galaxy pair.[8] NGC 4631 and NGC 4627 are part of the NGC 4631 Group, a group of galaxies that also includes the interacting galaxies NGC 4656 and NGC 4657.[9][10][11][12]
The Crescent Nebula (NGC6888) is an emission nebula in the constellation Cygnus, here imaged in narrowband. A large and energetic Wolf-Rayet star that is shedding material via its solar wind. The shock waves of the material traveling at differing speeds heats the gases and causes them to radiate. The star is burning through its fuel and will likely end its life in a supernova explosion. Equipment: ZWO ASI1600MM-C Camera @ -20C and Gain:200 Offset:50 Software Bisque MyT Mount Stellarvue SVQ100 Astrograph Refractor, 580mm @ f/5.8 Innovations Foresight ONAG Software: Pixinsight Commercial Version 1.8 Lightroom CC Photoshop CC Innovations Foresight SkyGuard Light Frames: Ha: 30 x 360 secs ( 3 hrs) OIII: 29 x 360 secs (2 hrs 54 mins) SII: 25 x 360 secs (2 hrs 30 mins) Red: 15 x 60 secs (15 mins) Green: 13 x 60 secs (13 mins) Blue: 11 x 60 secs (11 mins) 9 hrs 3 mins total Dark Frames: 10 x 60 secs, RGB (30 mins) 10 x 360 secs, Ha,OIII,SII (3 hrs) Bias Frames 100 Flat Frames 20 each filter
