Abell 1656 Coma Cluster

This has been a fun image to process because most of the bright objects we can see in the image are galaxies :=) and it is "awesome" in the original sense of the word. What wonder we can detect from our back gardens . . . From Wkipedia: "The Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) is a large cluster of galaxies that contains over 1,000 identified galaxies.Along with the Leo Cluster (Abell 1367), it is one of the two major clusters comprising the Coma Supercluster.It is located in and takes its name from the constellation Coma Berenices. The cluster's mean distance from Earth is 99 Mpc (321 million light years). Its ten brightest spiral galaxies have apparent magnitudes of 12–14 that are observable with amateur telescopes larger than 20 cm.The central region is dominated by two supergiant elliptical galaxies: NGC 4874 and NGC 4889.The cluster is within a few degrees of the north galactic pole on the sky. Most of the galaxies that inhabit the central portion of the Coma Cluster are ellipticals. Both dwarf and giant ellipticals are found in abundance in the Coma Cluster." Interesting to see faint extended structure around the large ellipticals too. WO 132FLT at F7; 10 Micron GM1000HPS; QSI683wsg-8 with Astrodon LRGB filters; Lum 24 x 600s; 12 x 600s each RG&B; 10 hrs total integration. Totnes, May 2018.

Abell 1656 Coma Cluster - annotate to show galaxies

Messier 101

The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 21 million light-years (six megaparsecs) away from earth in the constellation Ursa Major. First discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 27, 1781, it was communicated to Charles Messier who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries. M101 is a large galaxy, with a diameter of 170,000 light-years. By comparison, the Milky Way has a diameter of 100,000 light years. It has around a trillion stars, ten times the amount in the Milky Way. It has a disk mass on the order of 100 billion solar masses, along with a small central bulge of about 3 billion solar masses. M101 is noted for its high population of H II regions, many of which are very large and bright. H II regions usually accompany the enormous clouds of high density molecular hydrogen gas contracting under their own gravitational force where stars form. H II regions are ionized by large numbers of extremely bright and hot young stars; those in M101 are capable of creating hot superbubbles. In a 1990 study, 1264 H II regions were cataloged in the galaxy. Three are prominent enough to receive New General Catalogue numbers - NGC 5461, NGC 5462, and NGC 5471. M101 is asymmetrical due to the tidal forces from interactions with its companion galaxies. These gravitational interactions compress interstellar hydrogen gas, which then triggers strong star formation activity in M101's spiral arms that can be detected in ultraviolet images. In 2001, the x-ray source P98, located in M101, was identified as an ultra-luminous X-ray source - a source more powerful than any single star but less powerful than a whole galaxy - using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. It received the designation M101 ULX-1. In 2005, Hubble and XMM-Newton observations showed the presence of an optical counterpart, strongly indicating that M101 ULX-1 is an x-ray binary. Further observations showed that the system deviated from expected models - the black hole is just 20 to 30 solar masses, and consumes material (including captured stellar wind) at a higher rate than theory suggests. Wikipedia. This Image is a crop from a larger frame. Takahashi FSQ106 at F5; 10 Micron GM1000HPS; QSI683wsg-8 with Astrodon filters; Lum 56 x 600s; RGB 30 x 600s each; Ha 18 x 1200s; 30.5 hours integration; e-Eye, Extremadura, Spain. Data acquisition: Steve Milne & Barry Wilson; Processed by Barry Wilson. May 2018.

M53 and NGC5053

A beautiful scene of stellar colour! Captured and processed entirely as an RGB image. Messier 53 (also known as M53 or NGC 5024) is a globular cluster in the Coma Berenices constellation. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1775. M53 is one of the more outlying globular clusters, being about 60,000 light-years (18.4 kpc) light-years away from the Galactic Center, and almost the same distance (about 58,000 light-years (17.9 kpc)) from the Solar system. The cluster has a core radius (rc) of 2.18 pc, a half-light radius (rh) of 5.84 pc, and a tidal radius (rtr) of 239.9 pc. This is considered a metal-poor cluster and at one time was thought to be the most metal-poor cluster in the Milky Way. Abundance measurements of cluster members on the red giant branch show that most are first-generation stars. That is, they did not form from gas recycled from previous generations of stars. This differs from the majority of globular clusters that are more dominated by second generation stars. The second generation stars in NGC 5024 tend to be more concentrated in the core region. Overall, the stellar composition of cluster members is similar to members of the Milky Way halo. The cluster displays various tidal-like features including clumps and ripples around the cluster, and tails along the cluster's orbit in an east-west direction. A tidal bridge-like structure appears to connect M53 with the close, very diffuse neighbor NCG 5053, as well as an envelope surrounding both clusters. These may indicate a dynamic tidal interaction has occurred between the two clusters; a possibly unique occurrence within the Milky Way since there are no known binary clusters within the galaxy. In addition, M53 is a candidate member of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy tidal stream. Among the variable star population in the cluster, there are 55 known to be RR Lyrae variables. Of these, a majority of 34 display behavior typical of the Blazhko effect, including 23 of type RRc – the largest known population of the latter in any globular cluster. There are also at least three variables of type SX Phe and a semi-regular red giant. Takahashi FSQ106; GM1000HPS, QSI683wsg with Astrodon Filters; RGB 64 x 600s ; total integration 12.3hrs. Data acquisition Sreve Milne & Barry Wilson. Processing Barry Wilson. e-Eye, Spain.

The Whale & Hockey Stick Galaxies

NGC 4631 (also known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32) is a barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a herring or a whale, hence its nickname. Because this nearby galaxy is seen edge-on from Earth, professional astronomers observe this galaxy to better understand the gas and stars located outside the plane of the galaxy. NGC 4631 contains a central starburst, which is a region of intense star formation. The strong star formation is evident in the emission from ionized hydrogen and interstellar dust heated by the stars formed in the starburst. The most massive stars that form in star formation regions only burn hydrogen gas through fusion for a short period of time, after which they explode as supernovae. So many supernovae have exploded in the center of NGC 4631 that they are blowing gas out of the plane of the galaxy. This superwind can be seen in X-rays and in spectral line emission. The gas from this superwind has produced a giant, diffuse corona of hot, X-ray emitting gas around the whole galaxy (Wikipedia). William Optics 132FLT at F7 with original TMB flattener 10 Micron GM1000HPS QSI683wsg-8 with Astrodon filters Lum 18 x 600s; 45 x 600s RGB; 12 x 600s Ha (5nm); total integration 12.5 hours. Totnes. May 2018.

Messier 51 The Whirpool Galaxy

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Its distance is estimated to be between 15 and 35 million light-years (Wikipedia). M51 is a beautiful gem of an interacting galaxy, grabbed while the UK finally started to warm up and my garden burst into Spring. We've returned to cloud for the time being however this image will form a good base for whatever I may be able to capture over the coming weeks. I am partially glad about the returning cloud - my AAG CloudWatcher's rain sensor broke (I'm blaming the snow) and is back with Lunatico for repair (being posted to me today), so I had anxious through the night wake-ups to check for showers etc and am now pretty knackered. Brought back plenty of memories of setting-up and tearing down, nodding off in the garden in my camping chair wrapped in blankets etc. A hefty crop is below. William Optics 132FLT at F7 with original TMB flattener 10 Micron GM1000HPS QSI683wsg-8 with Astrodon filters Lum 21 x 600s; 56 x 600s RGB; 9 x 1200s Ha (5nm); total integration 15.8 hours. Totnes. April 2018.

Messier 106

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. M106 contains an active nucleus classified as a Type 2 Seyfert, and the presence of a central supermassive black hole has been demonstrated from radio-wavelength observations of the rotation of a disk of molecular gas orbiting within the inner light-year around the black hole. NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106. A Type II supernova was observed in this galaxy in May 2014. (Wikipedia). WO 132FLT at F5.6; GM1000HPS mount; QSI683wsg-8; Astrodon LRGB filters; 30 x 600s Lum; 48 x 600s RGB; 10.5 hrs total integration; March 2018; Home observatory, Totnes.

Messier 31 The Andromeda Galaxy

The Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224, is a spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years from Earth. It is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way and was often referred to as the Great Andromeda Nebula in older texts. It received its name from the area of the sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which was named after the mythological princess Andromeda. Being approximately 220,000 light years across, it is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy, and about 44 other smaller galaxies. Despite earlier findings that suggested that the Milky Way contains more dark matter and could be the largest in the grouping, the 2006 observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed that Andromeda contains one trillion stars: at least twice the number of stars in the Milky Way, which is estimated to be 200–400 billion. The Milky Way and Andromeda are expected to collide in 3.75 billion years, eventually merging to form a giant elliptical galaxy [15] or perhaps a large disk galaxy.[16] The apparent magnitude of the Andromeda Galaxy, at 3.4, is one of the brightest of any of the Messier objects,[17] making it visible to the naked eye on moonless nights even when viewed from areas with moderate light pollution. Although it appears more than six times as wide as the full Moon when photographed through a larger telescope, only the brighter central region is visible to the naked eye or when viewed using binoculars or a small telescope, making it appear similar to a star (Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 6.7hrs, December 2014. Takahashi FSQ85 EDX at F3.9 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 383L+ - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 63 The Sunflower Galaxy

We began this collaboration on the 1st February when I captured the first RGB subs, then we have haltingly acquired the data whenever conditions allowed: Steve the Luminance and Ha, me the RGB, all binned 1 x 1. It was important to capture all the data during the best seeing - not the best winter for that as we all know - however, especially the RGB at the maximum altitude too, which meant much later in the evening, often when Devon was clouding out. So it wasn't until Saturday 2nd April that I could finally capture the last few RGB subs having discarded one hour of each for poor seeing. Steve had a slow start with poor weather but had a burst of speed towards the end of March with a few clear nights on the trot. It was exciting sharing the calibrated data - and we were both delighted to see the results. Messier 63 has relatively low surface brightness and has recently shown some interesting tidal and halo features - need big scope and dark skies to reveal these. We are both very pleased to have captured the distinctive clumpy texture and rich colouring. Processing required delicate treatment for some elements and some brutish welly for others to help coax the subject out from the background. Details: Scopes & CCDs - SW Esprit 120mm with QSI690 and WO FLT132 with QSI683 both at F7 Mounts - Mesu 200 and 10 Micron GM1000HPS Filters - Astrodon Software - we both use the magnificent SGP, PI and PS Data - 36 x 600s Lum; 16 x 60s Lum; 11 x 1200s Ha; 13 x 600s each R, G and B. Total integration a shade over 16hrs. Thank you once again to Steve for good humour, patience, a sense of wonder and fun. February - April 2017.

The Leo Triplet and tidal tail

The Leo Triplet (also known as the M66 Group) is a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy group consists of the spiral galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628. NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy (left-most with tidal tail) or Sarah's Galaxy is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. It has an approximately 300,000 light-years long tidal tail. Along with M65 and M66, NGC 3628 forms the Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies. Its most conspicuous feature is the broad and obscuring band of dust located along the outer edge of its spiral arms, effectively transecting the galaxy to the view from Earth. Due to the presence of an x-shaped bulge, visible in multiple wavelengths, it has been argued that NGC 3628 is instead a barred spiral galaxy with the bar seen end-on. Simulations have shown that bars often form in disk galaxies during interactions and mergers, and NGC 3628 is known to be interacting with its two large neighbours producing the elongated stream of stars and dust in its faint tail. Wikipedia. Takahashi FSQ106; 10 Micron GM1000HPS; QSI683wsg-8 with Astrodon filters; 24 x 600s each for RG&B; 27 x 1200s and 30x600s Luminance; 26 hrs total integration. e-Eye Extremadura, Spain. February 2018.

Markarian's Chain

Markarian's Chain is a stretch of galaxies that forms part of the Virgo Cluster. When viewed from Earth, the galaxies lie along a smoothly curved line. Charles Messier first discovered two of the galaxies, M84 and M86, in 1781. The other galaxies seen in the chain were first mentioned in John Louis Emil Dreyer's New General Catalogue, published in 1888. It was ultimately named after the Armenian astrophysicist, Benjamin Markarian, who discovered their common motion in the early 1960s.[2] Member galaxies include M84 (NGC 4374), M86 (NGC 4406), NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435. The bright members of the chain are visible through small telescopes. Larger telescopes can be used to view the fainter galaxies. At least seven galaxies in the chain appear to move coherently, although others appear to be superposed by chance. Six of the points on the chain can be marked by galaxies. The other two points are pairs of galaxies. Wikipedia.

Markarian's Chain

Annotated and plate solved image naming all of the galaxies visible in the image.

Messier 81 and 82

Messier 81 (also known as NGC 3031 or Bode's Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Due to its proximity to Earth, large size and active galactic nucleus (which harbors a 70 million M☉ supermassive black hole), Messier 81 has been studied extensively by professional astronomers. The galaxy's large size and relatively high brightness also make it a popular target for amateur astronomers. Messier 82 (also known as NGC 3034, Cigar Galaxy or M82) is a starburst galaxy about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. A member of the M81 Group, it is about five times more luminous than the whole Milky Way and has a center one hundred times more luminous than our galaxy's center. The starburst activity is thought to have been triggered by interaction with neighboring galaxy M81. As the closest starburst galaxy to Earth, M82 is the prototypical example of this galaxy type. SN 2014J, a type Ia supernova, was discovered in the galaxy on 21 January 2014. In 2014, in studying M82, scientists discovered the brightest pulsar yet known, designated M82 X-2 (Wikipedia). This is an LRGB image comprising 24 x 600s of Luminance and 9 x 600s each of Red, Green and Blue, for a total of 8.5hrs integration. Captured with a William Optics FLT132 at F7 using a TMB field flattener; 10 Micron GM1000HPS mount; QSI683-wsg8 ccd; Astrodon LRGB filters. March 2017.

Messier 94

Messier 94 (also known as NGC 4736) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, and catalogued by Charles Messier two days later. Although some references describe M94 as a barred spiral galaxy, the "bar" structure appears to be more oval-shaped. The galaxy is also notable in that it has two ring structures.  M94 contains both an inner ring with a diameter of 70" and an outer ring with a diameter of 600". These rings appear to form at resonance locations within the disk of the galaxy. The inner ring is the site of strong star formation activity and is sometimes referred to as a starburst ring. This star formation is fueled by gas that is dynamically driven into the ring by the inner oval-shaped bar-like structure. A 2009 study conducted by an international team of astrophysicists revealed that the outer ring of M94 is not a closed stellar ring, as historically attributed in the literature, but a complex structure of spiral arms when viewed in mid-IR and UV. The study found that the outer disk of this galaxy is active. It contains approximately 23% of the galaxy's total stellar mass and contributes about 10% of the galaxy's new stars. In fact, the star formation rate of the outer disk is approximately two times greater than the inner disk because it is more efficient per unit of stellar mass. There are several possible external events that could have led to the origin of M94's outer disk including the accretion of a satellite galaxy or the gravitational interaction with a nearby star system. However, further research found problems with each of these scenarios. Therefore, the report concludes that the inner disk of M94 (NGC4736) is an oval distortion which led to the creation of this galaxy's peripheral disk (source Wikipedia). This image comprises 4.8 hrs of Luminance 29 x 600s and 3 hrs of RGB 12 x 300s each channel; Astrodon LRGB filters. Taken using a William Optics FLT132 at F5.6. Half of the data was gathered using an Avalon Linear Fast Reverse mount and half with my new mount 10 Micron GM1000HPS. April 2016.

M84, M86 and The Eyes

Markarian's Chain is a stretch of galaxies that forms part of the Virgo Cluster. It is called a chain because, when viewed from Earth, the galaxies lie along a smoothly curved line. It was named after the Armenian astrophysicist, B. E. Markarian, who discovered their common motion in the early 1960s.  This image contains a portion of the chain of galaxies, particularly the two lenticular galaxies Messiers 84 and 86. Messier 86 (also known as M86 or NGC 4406) is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. M86 lies in the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and forms a most conspicuous group with another giant, Lenticular Galaxy M84. It displays the highest blue shift of all Messier objects, as it is approaching the Milky Way at 244 km/s. This is due to its falling towards the center of the Virgo cluster from the opposite side, which causes it to move in the direction of the Milky Way. Messier 86 is linked by several filaments of ionized gas to the severely disrupted spiral galaxy NGC 4438 and shows some gas and interstellar dust that may have been stripped, as well as the gas on those filaments, of it. It is suffering ram-pressure stripping as it moves at high speed through Virgo's intracluster medium, losing its interstellar medium as it moves through it leaving behind a very long trail of hot gas. Messier 86 has a rich system of globular clusters, with a total number of around 3,800. Its halo also has a number of stellar streams interpreted as remmants of dwarf galaxies that have been disrupted and absorbed by this galaxy. The Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4435-NGC 4438, also known as Arp 120) are a pair of galaxies about 52 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. This galaxy takes its name from its ring structure which made it popular (source Wikipedia). This LRGB image comprises 3hrs of Luminance 18 x 600s and 10 x 300s sub-frames each of Red, Green and Blue, 5.5 hrs total integration.  Astrodon LRGB filters. Taken using a William Optics FLT132 at F5.6.

Messier 109 and UGC6983

Messier 109 (also known as NGC 3992) is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 83.5 ± 24 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M109 can be seen southeast of the star Phecda (γ UMa). Messier 109 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. In 1783 Charles Messier catalogued NGC 3992 as his 109th object (Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 5.3hrs, March 2015. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 13 The Great Globular Cluster in Hercules

Messier 13 (M13), also designated NGC 6205 and sometimes called the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules or the Hercules Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of about 300,000 stars in the constellation of Hercules. M13 was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and catalogued by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764 (Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 1.7hrs, May 2014. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB Filters.

NGC4565 The Needle Galaxy

NGC 4565 (also known as the Needle Galaxy or Caldwell 38) is an edge-on spiral galaxy about 30 to 50 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The 10th magnitude galaxy sits perpendicular to our own Milky Way galaxy and is almost directly above the North Galactic Pole (in the same way Polaris is located above the Earth's North Pole). It is known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile. First spotted in 1785 by Sir William Herschel (1738–1822), it is one of the most famous examples of an edge-on spiral galaxy (Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 6.7hrs, April 2015. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon LInear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB Filters.

The Leo Triplet, M65, M66 and NGC3628

The Leo Triplet (also known as the M66 Group) is a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy group consists of the spiral galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628 (source Wikipedia). This LRGB image comprises 3hrs of Luminance 18 x 600s and 12 x 300s sub-frames each of Red, Green and Blue, 6 hrs total integration. Astrodon LRGB filters. Taken using a William Optics FLT132 at F5.6. The faint tidal tail of NGC3628 is just beginning to reveal itself and it would be great to capture more luminance frames over the coming weeks. March 2016.

Messier 100

Messier 100 (also known as NGC 4321) is an example of a grand design spiral galaxy located within the southern part of constellation Coma Berenices. It is one of the brightest and largest galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, located approximately 55 million light-years distant from Earth and has a diameter of 107,000 light years. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 15, 1781 and was subsequently entered in Messier’s catalogue of nebulae and star clusters[5] after Charles Messier made observations of his own on April 13, 1781. The galaxy was one of the first spiral galaxies to be discovered, and was listed as one of fourteen spiral nebulae by Lord William Parsons of Rosse in 1850. Two satellite galaxies named NGC 4323 -connected with M100 by a bridge of luminous matter- and NGC 4328 are close to the galaxy. Galaxy NGC4312 lies to the right. LRGB composition, total integration 6.7hrs, April 2015. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 86 and the Virgo Cluster

Messier 86 (also known as M86 or NGC 4406) is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. M86 lies in the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and forms a most conspicuous group with another giant, Lenticular Galaxy M84. It displays the highest blue shift of all Messier objects, as it is approaching the Milky Way at 244 km/s. This is due to its falling towards the center of the Virgo cluster from the opposite side, which causes it to move in the direction of the Milky Way. Luminance frames only, total integration 0.5hrs, April 2015. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

NGC2403

NGC 2403 (also Caldwell 7) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group,[2] and is approximately 8 million light-years distant. It bears a striking similarity to M33, being about 50,000 light years in diameter and containing numerous star-forming H II regions. The northern spiral arm connects it to a Star forming region NGC 2404 (source Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 6.3hrs, February 2015. William Optocs FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 92

Messier 92 (also known as M92 or NGC 6341) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Hercules. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1777, then published in the Jahrbuch during 1779. The cluster was independently rediscovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781 and added as the 92nd entry in his catalogue. M92 is at a distance of about 26,700 light-years away from Earth. M92 is one of the brighter globular clusters in the northern hemisphere, but it is often overlooked by amateur astronomers because of its proximity to the even more spectacular Messier 13. It is visible to the naked eye under very good conditions (source Wikipedia). RGB composition, total integration 2hrs, May 2014. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atil 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 33 The Triangulum Galaxy

The Triangulum Galaxy is a spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Triangulum. It is catalogued as Messier 33 or NGC 598, and is sometimes informally referred to as the Pinwheel Galaxy, a nickname it shares with Messier 101. The Triangulum Galaxy is the third-largest member of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy and about 44 other smaller galaxies. It is one of the most distant permanent objects that can be viewed with the naked eye. The galaxy is the smallest spiral galaxy in the Local Group and it is believed to be a satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy due to their interactions, velocities and proximity to one another in the night sky. It also has an H-II nucleus (source Wikipedia). LRGB composition, total integration 3.5hrs, November 2013. TS Optics Apo 115 - SW NEQ6Pro - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB filters.

Messier 96 and 105

Messier 96 (also known as M96 or NGC 3368) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo (the Lion). It was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain on March 20, 1781. After communicating his finding, French astronomer Charles Messier confirmed the finding four days later and added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects.  Variations in ultraviolet emission from the core suggest the presence of a supermassive black hole. On May 9, 1998 a supernova event was observed in this galaxy. Designated SN 1998bu, this was a Type Ia supernova explosion. It reached maximum light on May 21 then steadily declined in magnitude thereafter. Observations of the ejecta a year later showed that the explosion created 0.4 times the mass of the Sun worth of iron.  Messier 96 is about the same mass and size as the Milky Way and is a very asymmetric galaxy; its dust and gas are unevenly spread throughout its weak spiral arms, and its core is not exactly at the galactic center. Its arms are also asymmetrical, thought to have been influenced by the gravitational pull of other galaxies within the same group as Messier 96. Messier 105 was discovered by Pierre Méchain on 24 March 1781, just a few days after he discovered the nearby galaxies Messier 95 and Messier 96. This galaxy is one of several that were not originally included in the original Messier Catalogue compiled by Charles Messier. Messier 105 is known to have a supermassive black hole whose mass is estimated to be between 1.4·108 and 2·108 solar masses. It also contains a few young stars and stellar clusters, suggesting some elliptical galaxies still form new stars, but very slowly (source Wikipedia). This LRGB image comprises 3hrs of Luminance 18 x 600s and 12 x 300s sub-frames each of Red, Green and Blue, 6 hrs total integration; Astrodon LRGB filters. Taken using a William Optics FLT132 at F5.6. March 2016.

Messier 106 and NGC4217

Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M106 is at a distance of about 22 to 25 million light-years away from Earth. It is also a Seyfert II galaxy. Due to x-rays and unusual emission lines detected, it is suspected that part of the galaxy is falling into a supermassive black hole in the center. NGC 4217 is a possible companion galaxy of Messier 106. A Type II supernova was observed in this galaxy in May 2014. M106 is one of the largest and brightest nearby galaxies, similar in size and luminosity to the Andromeda Galaxy. It has also played an important role in calibrating the cosmic distance ladder. Before, Cepheid variables from other galaxies cannot be used to measure distances since they cover ranges of metallicities different from the Milky Way's. M106 contains Cepheid variables similar to both of the metallicities of the Milky Way and other galaxies' Cepheids. By measuring the distance of the Cepheids with metallicities similar to our galaxy, astronomers are able to recalibrate the other Cepheids with different metallicities, a key fundamental step in improving the distances to other galaxies in the universe (source Wikipedia). HaLRGB composition, total integration 8.5hrs, March 2015. William Optics FLT132 at F5.6 - Avalon Linear Fast Reverse - Atik 460EX - Baader LRGB and Astrodon 5nm NB filters.

Messier 101 The Pinwheel Galaxy

The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101, M101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 21 million light-years (six megaparsecs) away in the constellation Ursa Major, first discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 27, 1781, and communicated to Charles Messier who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries. M101 is a large galaxy comparable in size to the Milky Way. With a diameter of 170,000 light-years it is roughly equal the size of the Milky Way. It has a disk mass on the order of 100 billion solar masses, along with a small central bulge of about 3 billion solar masses. M101 is noted for its high population of H II regions, many of which are very large and bright. H II regions usually accompany the enormous clouds of high density molecular hydrogen gas contracting under their own gravitational force where stars form. H II regions are ionized by large numbers of extremely bright and hot young stars; those in M101 are capable of creating hot superbubbles (source Wikipedia). This LRGB image comprises 2hrs of Luminance 12 x 600s and 12 x 300s sub-frames each of Red, Green and Blue, 5 hrs total integration.  Astrodon LRGB filters. Taken using a William Optics FLT132 at F5.6.

NGC2403, Caldwell 7

NGC 2403 (also Caldwell 7) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Camelopardalis. NGC 2403 is an outlying member of the M81 Group, and is approximately 8 million light-years distant. It bears a striking similarity to M33, being about 50,000 light years in diameter and containing numerous star-forming H II regions. The northern spiral arm connects it to a Star forming region NGC 2404. The galaxy was discovered by William Herschel in 1788. Allan Sandage detected Cepheid variables in NGC 2403 using the Hale telescope, giving it the distinction of being the first galaxy beyond the Local Group within which a Cepheid was discovered. He derived a distance of a mere 8 thousand light years. Today, it is thought to be a thousand times further away at about 8 million light years (2.5 Mpc). This LRGB data capture was shared in collaboration with Steve Milne in Nottingham and myself based in Totnes, south Devon. It shows what can be accomplished with a relatively poor weather UK winter! We co-ordinated image details using the brilliant Sequence Generator Pro. Steve used his SW Esprit 120 at native focal length F7 paired with a QSI690 and Mesu 200 mount; I used my WO FLT132 at its native FL F7 paired with a QSI683 and GM1000HPS mount. Steve captured 26 x 600s of Luminance and I captured 9 x 600s each of Red, Green and Blue. Both of us use Astrodon filters. We shared calibrated and stacked data channels using the free Dropbox. Thus we ensured that darks, biases and flats were correctly applied. The image scales from the two optical trains had to be aligned and rescaled - I carried this out in PixInsight (there were eventually three different image scales when I added in my older Luminance data). When processing I also added a further 3.6 hours Luminance I captured in 2015 using the same scope but an Atik 460 EXM. Thus the total integration was 12.5 hours. Unfortunately weather has prevented us gathering any Ha to supplement the red channel and help make the abundant HII regions 'sparkle'. It was great fun collaborating with Steve and having a shared project helped us keep motivated - so thank you to Steve for his great sense of humour. All the processing for the attached image was carried out by myself in PixInsight. March 2017.

NGC3718

NGC 3718, also called Arp 214, is a galaxy located approximately 52 million light years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.[1][2][3] It is either a lenticular or spiral galaxy.[4] NGC 3718 has a warped, s-shape. This may be due to gravitational interaction between it and NGC 3729, another spiral galaxy located 150,000 light-years away, source Wikipedia. This LRGB image was taken with my WO 132FLT at F7; 10 Micron GM1000HPS mount; QSI683wsg-8; Astrodon LRGB filters; comprising 1 hour each of RG&B and 3 hrs of Luminance, all in 600s subs, total integration 6 hours. April - May 2017.

Messier 3

According to Wikipedia, "Many amateur astronomers consider it one of the finest northern globular clusters, following only Messier 13. . . . This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth.[citation needed. . . It contains 274 known variable stars; by far the highest number found in any globular cluster." Having recently read "The Glass Universe" by Dava Sobel which documents the extraordinary work of the female 'human computers' at Harvard University cataloguing stars, their positions, their spectra and their significant contributions to astronomy and especially variable stars and their brightness/periodicty relationship, it is rather pleasing to capture M3 with its abundant stars and variables. Captured with my Takahashi FSQ106 reduced to F3.6; 10 Micron GM1000HPS mount; QSI683wsg-8; Astrodon LRGB filters; comprising 15 x 300s Luminance and 8 x 300s each of RGB, total integration 3hrs 25m. May 2017.