Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  IC 4277  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  Whirlpool Galaxy
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Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy
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Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy
Powered byPixInsight

Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

Equipment

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Acquisition details

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Description

My first go at DSO imaging using an EQ mount, alternatively titled "M51: Or the Reason I Will Never Forget to Take Flats Ever Again." Removing the vignetting caused by the f/6.3 Focal Reducer was quite a challenge, but it taught me a lot about how to use brushes in Lightroom.

March 4, 2017 Re-Edit: I have learned magnitudes on acquisition and processing this past year. I revisited this image using Flats from a newer image, but the relatively short exposures and small amount of them meant the background noise was not removable to my satisfaction. Still, I was surprised about the amount of detail I was able to pull from this image using relatively simple curves in Photoshop, including some of the fainter details ebbing from the galactic arm on the left and the cloud to the right of NGC 5191. I may revisit this image, but I have grown quite tired of the C8's vignetting issue, and with my new AT72ED I may move onto larger diameter images, as M51 would be quite tiny in an f/4 scope.


2023 Reprocess:
 - Cosmetic Correction
 - Subframe Weighing
 - Star Align
 - Integration

Post Processing:
 - Crop
 - DBE
 - BlurX
 - ImageSolver + SPCC
 - StarX

 - Rista TGVD, MMT
 - GHS non-linear stretch (stars given ASH + HT)
 - ACDNR

 - Curves Vibrance, a*/b*, Contrast tweaks
 - Add TGVD NR
 - Star Screen Blend
 - Bills Star Reduction
 - Annotation

Comments

Revisions

  • Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
    Original
  • Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
    B
  • Final
    Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
    C
  • Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton
    D

C

Description: 2023 Reprocess

Uploaded: ...

D

Description: Annotated

Uploaded: ...

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

Messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy, Brent Newton

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Central USA
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DSO