NGC 6946

Total eff. exposure 60 minutes with ST8 and 6" refractor. November 3, 1999, Valencia, CA.

I got this while trying to make a tricolor image of the object. The image is a composite of twelve
individual 10 minute images (total 120 minutes), consisting of both unfiltered (IR blocked) and
filtered images.
 

M63

Total 40 min. exposure with ST7E camera and 6" AP refractor. July 15, 1999, Valencia,
CA.

For this one I used StellaImage for dark adjusting and flat fielding. This seems to give
much better flat field correction than I've been getting with CCDSoft. The bright star in
the lower left of the frame shows some blooming, as the new ST7E is more sensivitve
and is not anti-blooming.
 

M51 The Whirlpool Galaxy

Total ten minute Track and Accumulate image with ST7 and 6" AP refractor.
June 12, 1999, Mt. Pinos California.
 

M101

Total 30 min. Track and Accumulate exposure with ST7 camera and 6" AP refractor.
July 7, 1999, Valencia, CA.
 

M81

Total 40 min. exposure at f/7 with ST7 camera, 6" AP refractor.
February 22, 1999, Valencia, CA.

After numerous frustrations, M81 is finally beginnig to yield some
of its secrets at longer exposures. Possible HII regions and dust lanes
areclear in the arms. This is a very difficult galaxy to image from a suburban
back yard. Seeing was a little better than it has been so I was able to
get a little sharper stars than I have been.