The Cigar Galaxy, M82
M82 above: a new (from the HAS site, Jan. 2010) image consisting of over 6 hours total exposure, processed using Drizzle Image Processing (3x on above) with Deep Sky Stacker for maximum detail. Scroll down to see older versions and more information about M82. Takahashi TOA 130 Telescope (a 5" APO refractor) with reducer, AP 900GTO mount, and QHY8 CCD Camera & normal workflow plus Drizzle.
M81, above: New (from the HAS site, Jan. 2010) image consisting of over 6 hours total exposure, processed using Drizzle Image Processing (3x on above) with Deep Sky Stacker for maximum detail. Scroll down to see older versions and more information about these interacting galaxies. Takahashi TOA 130 Telescope (a 5" APO refractor) with reducer, AP 900GTO mount, and QHY8 CCD Camera & normal workflow plus Drizzle.
Using drizzle is very computer intensive and it's just about bringing my 4 CPU system to its knees!
Just above and to the left of the galaxy you can barely make out Holmberg IX, (AKA UGC 5336, AKA PGC 28757).
See the other HAS January 2010 Pictures
M82 is really cooking with activity due to it's recent close interaction with M81. This March 2008 image is composed of 11 x 4 minute frames = 44 minutes exposure. This is a decent result given the relatively short exposure.
Re-Do March 2008. Two galaxies in Ursa Major, roughly 11 million light years away from earth. Canon EOS 20Da (unmodified), Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor) with the TAK flattener, guided with SBIG STV, Astro-Physics AP 900GTO mount. My current image processing workflow is here.
The unusual activity in M82 is due to interaction with the relatively close M81. The galaxies had a close encounter about one hundred million years ago. Just above M81 you can barely make out Holmberg IX, (AKA UGC 5336, AKA PGC 28757). There's another faint smudge that's a galaxy in the upper left corner of the frame.
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