M101 with the fireworks (Tom Gray)

Celestial hemisphere: Northern · Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa) · Contains: M 101 · NGC 5451 · NGC 5455 · NGC 5457 · NGC 5461 · NGC 5471

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M101 with the fireworks

Here's the proof that exposure and experience really matter. Back in February I was just pleased to be able to find M101, and achieve a 15 minute guided exposure. After three consecutive clear and moonless nights (almost unheard of in the UK), I took the opportunity to try again, to do this lovely spiral justice, while M101 is riding high at the zenith,

I achieved 2 hours of exposure, using 10 min subs, only to find a satellite (or I would like to think a Lyrid) crossed frame 10, which I removed from the LRGB stack, and aligned 7 frames for this image using Envisage. I am fascinated by the contrast, detail and beauty displayed in this face on galaxy and have perhaps pushed the processing too far in Startools, to try and show off the HII regions in the arms.

I'll tone this down to something more natural in a revision, and see if I can salvage a couple more frames. Imaging this in narrowband will better show the HII knots that sparkle like fireworks.

Original
Final
B

B

Description: A better colour composition, although perhaps still too much red, leading to a purple rather than blue contrast with prominent dust lanes. The HII star forming regions show up as white globules in this LRGB composite. I will attempt to merge H alpha data from my dual band filter in due course.

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The OSC Club (One Shot Camera)
Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) Imagers
Altair Astro 183 M/C Hypercams
UK Astro-Imaging

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Status	Basic success
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Astrometry.net job	3455089
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