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This very peculiar
            edge on spiral galaxy is both bright and a challenge to process
            because of the very faint an tenuous hydrogen streamers projecting
            from the core in a bipolar fashion. The image on the left is
            a total of 4h of exposure and represents the standard G2V calibrated
            view of this enigmatic object. On the right 5h of additional
            hydrogen light exposure data was added to bring up the incredible
            sprays of gas emanating from the core. 

            
Field Description:

            
M82 dominates
            the center of this image, spanning a huge 11 arcminutes across,
            this 9.3 magnitude spiral is inclined only 7 degrees from our
            line of sight. Classed as an IO sp, this peculiar galaxy is famous
            for the expanding bipolar outflow of hydrogen emanating perpendicular
            to the disk. This galaxy is moderately red, with a B-V index
            of .90 it is ruddier than most. This galaxy also has an IRAS
            designation as well as an ARP number.

            

              

                

                
 Just
                  to the lower left in this image from the galaxies core, we find
                  a 20th magnitude quasar, Hoag 1 which beams with a soft blue
                  color in the center of this image. We know today that quasars
                  are active galactic nuclei - black holes, in very distant galaxies.
                  This field goes down to 22rd magnitude.
              
            


            
Two very dim
            spirals also can be seen in the entire frame shot (top of this
            page). Just to the lower left of the bright orange 9th magnitude
            star that is blazing to the upper right of M82 is MAC 0954+6944,
            a 17th magnitude object barely .5 minutes across. The very obvious
            face on spiral to the lower left of the field is MAC 0958+6936
            which is a 18th magnitude object with a bright core spanning
            .4 minutes in size. Finally, two deep yellow galaxy clusters
            are along the right edge. One at the top contains dozens of members,
            mostly 19 - 21st magnitude.

Instrument:  12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian
Mount:  Astrophysics 1200 QMD
CCD Camera:  SBIG 10XME NABG with Enhanced Water Cooling
Guider: SBIG ST4  w/Lumicon Newt Easy Guider
Exposure:  Ha+LRGB = 300+120:40:40:40 (RGB Binned 2x2)
AstroDon RGB Combine Ratio:  1: 1.05: 1.11
Location:  Payson, Arizona, Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing FWHM = 6 arcsec (Maxim DL - 10min subframe), Transparency 8/10
Outside Temperature:  45 F
CCD Temperature:  -30 C
Image Processing Tools: 
Maxim DL:  Calibration, deblooming (Starizona Debloomer), aligning, stacking
Gralaks Sigma:  Stacking
PixInsight:  Curves, Deconvolution, noise reduction
Photoshop CS2:  Curves, Color Correction, Gradient removal (Grad Xterminator), Cleanup

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