The first time I photographed this object with a CCD was with my ST237, and it was too big for the chip. Now, I can fit the entire galaxy with room to spare on the half degree field of the ST8. This 10.8 magnitude object spans over 15 arcminutes in size and is classed as type SA(s)b. It actually is not totally edge on, but is inclined 7 degrees from our line of sight. The only other cataloged object in this field is the small galaxy just to the upper left of the core, flanking the body of the main galaxy. This 16.5 magnitude spiral is an anonymous galaxy, cataloged in the Mitchell catalog as Mac 0222+4222. It is only .4 arcminutes in length.

I elected to compose this object with North up. Although many astrophotographers tend to line up the long dimension of the galaxy with the edges of the frame, I preferred this more aesthetic approach with its natural orientation.

Processing: Combine by summing in Maxim, DDP, followed by deconvolution in AIP. LRGB combine in Photoshop 7 via Lab combine.

Instrument:  12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian
Platform:  Astrophysics 1200 QMD
CCD Camera:  SBIG ST8i
Exposure:  LRGB = 60:20:20:20 (RGB Binned 2x2)
RGB Combine Ratio:  1: .82: 2.3
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.

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