M 74 and the IFN
OTA:……………….CDK17 f/6.8
Camera:………….FLI Proline 16803, 9micron pixels 0.64 arcsec/pix
Observatory:…. Rodeo, NM (Bernard Miller, host)
EXPOSURES:
…R……..10 x 900 sec.
…B…....14 x 900
…G…….12 x 900
…L……..20 x 1200
…H.…...12 x 1800
Total exposure 21.7 hours
Image Width: 31.7 arc-minutes
Processed by Alex Woronow (2021) using PixInsight, Topaz, SWT
In this image, the galaxy M78 appears behind the Integrated-Flux Nebula (IFN) located in our Milky Way. M 74’s low surface brightness makes it difficult to observe visually and photograph. It also forces brightening the patchy IFN to bring forward the galaxy. As a result, as the outermost extent of the galaxy’s arms becomes faint and patchy, they blend into the background patchiness of the IFN, making the limits of the galaxy challenging to discern.
There’s another difficulty loosely attached to the name “Messier 74.” A piece of music title “Messier 74” enhabits the Beatspace Radio website:
https://iboga-beatspace.bandcamp.com/track/messier-74. As hard as it is to discern the spatial limits of galactic Messier 74 from its nebular background, it’s even harder to discern its musical limits of Beatspace Messier 74 from a passing circus train.
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