This is the first time I've "lapped" myself, data-wise, as while I've been doing astrophotography since November 2020, I was using the wrong flattener and I can't add data to those images. While the framing is the same, more than half the integration time is from 2022 so I'm not uploading this as a revision to my
2021 Whirlpool.At 10.5+ hours (including the 4+ hours from 2021) this more than doubles the total exposure time for this target, and the improvement is... interesting! Much more luminance and better colour, but the improvement in detail wasn't as much as I'd hoped for. I think I'm fighting with my seeing on long exposures, and I am tempted to shorten them to minimize atmospheric distortion and improve what I'm able to get while drizzling. As I'm writing this, I'm processing a globular star cluster where I took this approach, and the results are more promising.
I was able to utilize the new NoiseXTerminator plugin for this image, and was absolutely blown away. It won't run on my computer (too old!) so I have to run it on a newer computer elsewhere and then come home and finish editing. I'm forced to do the same with Starnet++ V2. It's an awkward workflow, but the results are worth it.
I'm particularly happy with the gas/dust areas around M51, and the improvement in colour. Also the companion galaxies are much brighter and less noisy. This is SUCH a tiny target for my FOV, but I still love imaging it.
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