Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Pisces (Psc)  ·  Contains:  M 74  ·  NGC 628  ·  PGC 138413  ·  PGC 138420  ·  PGC 1488343
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
Powered byPixInsight

M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
Powered byPixInsight

M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

This is M74, imaged with a C8 edge - no reducer - F10.  Due to a number of problems (strictly my own, see below) this is a most difficult image to process. 

Taken at Sandilands park, a great dark site quite close to my city, and a favourite of our local groupl

I found this to be a relatively tough target, as even my subs were quite dim, SN ratio wasn't too good (should have increased my gain). 

Also ->

I forgot to bin this one, and I should have as I was using my 2600 mc pro (3.76 uM pixel size).   

My third mistake (they come in threes) was that I didn't get set up in time to get "sky" flats - which I am in the habit of doing.   No flats.. oops.

M74  via wiki:

Messier 74 (also known as the Phantom Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in the equatorialconstellationPisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy.

The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe.   Its relatively large angular (that is, apparent) size and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves.   

It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars.

I have also learned that M74 has hosted a number of Supernova over the years.

+++++++++++

Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoy this version of M74.

Comments

Revisions

  • M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
    Original
  • M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
    B
  • M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
    C
  • M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
    D
  • Final
    M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon
    E

B

Description: This version has some additional calibration and I tried to decrease the black point to bring out more of the galactic arms.

Uploaded: ...

C

Description: In this image I have declared a battle - as has been mentioned by others on this site, processing is sometimes like solving a rubic's cube.

Uploaded: ...

D

Description: Still trying to clean up the first stack.

Uploaded: ...

E

Title: Reprocessed using decon and some noise reduction

Uploaded: ...

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

M74 (NGC 628) @ 2032 mm focal length, Ian Dixon