In 2006, I had managed to take some pictures of this spiral galaxy using a 120mm apo and dslr I had at the time. They were single exposures of about 40 seconds, and I was amazed that I could actually make out some spiral arms. After a 15 year hiatus from this hobby, I again imaged this target often with my 81mm scope and now with my larger 130mm scope. The detail of the core is wonderful, and the colours and pockets of Ha that can be picked up in the spiral arms are amazing, as are the star colours around this galaxy. Since processing this image, I have been using it as my profile picture for my Microsoft 365 account at work. It often creates a lot of conversation with my peers, and this is exactly the type of image they picture when they think of a galaxy.
- Taken – February 13, 2023 in Rockwood ON
- 6h 25m - 77x300s lights, 30 flats, 30 dark flats, and 50 darks
- Askar 130phq with an asi294mc pro camera, gain 120, UV/IR filter, cooled to -20
- EQ6R-PRO with wo50mm guide scope and asi120mm guide camera
- Asiair Plus used for image acquisition
- EAF used for focus
- Pixinsight used for stacking and image processing