ScienceDownEast - ScienceDownEast Astrophotography - M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy (Latest images)

M81 and M82 using GHS (M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:50:04 -0300

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

Note: click on the image to view it at the full resolution of the uploaded image, then click again for actual size.

Total image time was 5 hours.

Exposure

11x20 min.+ 8x10 min.

GAIN

100

Camera

ToupTek ATR2600C [6224 x 4168]

Optics

120mm Skywatcher Esprit on a Proxisky UMi20S Strain Wave mount

Guiding

ToupTek GPM462M using Phd2

Controller

Kstars on MeLe Quieter 4C

Filter

Optolong L-eNhance

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-03-14, 2025-03-20

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

SetiAstro Automatic DBE

SpectrophotometricColourCalibration

BlurXTerminator

NoiseXTerminator

Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch (GHS) (using Blair MacDonald's excellent YT Tutorial)

StarXTerminator

In the starless image: CurvesTransformation, MultiscaleLinearTransform

PixelMath recombination ~((~stars)*(~starless))

Date: March 26, 2025

M81+M82 Cropped (M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:50:04 -0300

Note: click on the image to view it at the full resolution of the uploaded image, then click again for actual size.

Total image time was 2.3 hours.

Exposure

7x20 min.

GAIN

100

Camera

ToupTek ATR2600C [6224 x 4168]

Optics

120mm Skywatcher Esprit on a Proxisky UMi20S Strain Wave mount

Guiding

ToupTek GPM462M using Phd2

Controller

Kstars on MeLe Quieter 3C

Filter

Triad Quad Ultra

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2025-02-05

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

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))

Date: March 26, 2025

M81 and M82 (M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy)

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 17:50:04 -0300

Total image time was 14.67 hours.

Exposure

12x20 min.

ISO

3200

Camera

Nikon Z7 [8856 x 5504]

Optics

120mm Skywatcher Esprit on a Celestron CGX mount

Guiding

ZWO ASI224MC using Phd2

Controller

Kstars on MeLe Quieter 3C

Filter

Triad Quad Ultra

Location

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.

Date

2021-03-21 -> 2023-02-19

Processing

Processed in PixInsight.

Dynamic Background Extractor

BlurXTerminator

NoiseXTerminator

ScreenTransfer Stretch

StarXTerminator

CurvesTransformation on the starless image

PixelMath recombination

Date: March 26, 2025

M81 and M82 Bodes and Cigar Galaxies (M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy)

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 16:48:31 -0300

M81 and M82 Bodes and Cigar Galaxies The guiding failed during this run.
Exposure 12@ 60 sec sub frames
ISO 800
Camera Nikon D800 [7360 x 4912]
Optics Prime focus of a 10" Meade SCT f/10, 2500 mm focal length on a Celestron CGEM DX mount.
Location Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date 2018-05-14
Processing Captured using Kstars EKOS 2.9.5 and indilib v1.7.0. Processed in PixInsight and tweaked in Lightroom.

Date: March 26, 2025

M82 the Cigar Galaxy (M081 Bodes Galaxy and M082 Cigar Galaxy)

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 16:48:35 -0300

Object M82 the Cigar Galaxy (taken while the moon was at 94% illumination).
Exposure 9@ 60 sec sub frames
ISO 3200
Camera Nikon D800 [7360 x 4912]
Optics Prime focus of a 10" Meade SCT f/10, 2500 mm focal length on a Celestron CGEM DX mount.
Location Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.
Date 2018-06-01
Processing Captured using Kstars EKOS 2.9.6 and indilib v1.7.0. Processed in PixInsight and tweaked in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Date: March 26, 2025