Leo Triplet using the ToupTek ATR2600C · 2025-04-24

The Leo Triplet comprised of M65, M66 and NGC 3628.

The Leo Triplet comprised of M65, M66 and NGC 3628. Messier 65 (center right, also known as NGC 3623) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo, within its highly equatorial southern half. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. With M66 (an intermediate spiral galaxy, above) and NGC 3628 (also known as the Hamburger Galaxy) an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away, they form the Leo Triplet, a small close group of galaxies.

Exposure	18@300 sec (1.5 hours.)
Gain	100
Camera	ToupTek ATR2600C [6224 x 4168]
Optics	Skywatcher Esprit 120mm Refractor, 840 mm focal length
Filter	None
Guiding	KStars internal guiding using a ToupTek GPM462M on an Orion 60x240mm Guide scope using PHD2
Controller	Images taken using Kstars on an MeLe Quieter 4C running Ubuntu 22.04.2
Location	Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date	2025-04-24
PixInsight Processing	WeightedBatchPreprocessing Script SetiAstro Automatic DBE BlurXTerminator NoiseXTerminator Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch StarXTerminator CurvesTransformation PixelMath