This is my first guided image with the ST8i camera, and shows promise for future deep imagery. M81 is a huge 30 arcminutes in length, the same diameter as the full moon. Classed as a SA(s)ab spiral, it is very bright at 7.9 magnitude.

Processing: Images were averaged rather than summed to keep the core from saturating in Maxim DL. The L channel was further processed in AIP, and the LRGB combine was in Photoshop.

Instrument:  12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian
Platform:  Astrophysics 1200 QMD
CCD Camera:  SBIG ST8i
Exposure:  LRGB = 90:20:20:20 (RGB Binned 2x2)
RGB Combine Ratio:  1: .82: 2.34
Filters:  RGB Tricolor
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing FMHW = 2.5 arcsec, Transparency 8/10
Outside Temperature:  5 C
CCD Temperature:  -20 C
Processing:  Maxim DL, Photoshop, AIP4WIN, PW Pro.

HOME   GALAXIES     EMISSION NEBS     REFLECTION NEBS   COMETS     GLOBULARS     OPEN CLUST     PLANETARIES     LINKS