M81, Bodes Galaxy and M82, the Cigar Galaxy .

M81+M82 Cropped
Click on the image to open it at full resolution.
M81, Bodes Galaxy and M82, the Cigar Galaxy . M82 was discovered, along with its neighbor M81, by the German astronomer Johann Elert Bode in 1774. Located 12 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major, M82 has an apparent magnitude of 8.4

Total image time was 2.3 hours.

Exposure7x20 min.
GAIN100
CameraToupTek ATR2600C [6224 x 4168]
Optics120mm Skywatcher Esprit on a Proxisky UMi20S Strain Wave mount
GuidingToupTek GPM462M using Phd2
ControllerKstars on MeLe Quieter 3C
FilterTriad Quad Ultra
LocationLower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date2025-02-05
PixInsight Processing
GraXpert Background Neutralization
SpectrophotometricColourCalibration
BlurXTerminator
NoiseXTerminator
Statistical Stretch
StarXTerminator
In the starless image: HDRMultiScaleTransform
Mask creation Extract CIE L* component to create the mask Apply it to the starless image
CurvesTransformation on the starless image - apply Saturation
PixelMath recombination ~((~stars)*(~starless))