Horsehead M31
The Andromeda Galaxy		 Horsehead

(These are very large files - Broadband recommended on anything over the 50% size)

(Click on image for 50% Resolution)

(Click here for 100% of full size - 3.2MB)

(Click here for my FSQ/ST-10XME attempt on 09-12-2004)


Date: October 18, 2007
Exposure: LRGBHa : 580:645:485:550:540 (multiple 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes exposures)
Processing: CCDAutoPilot3 used to collect data over multiple nights. CCDSoftV5 for image acquisition, CCDStack on a x64 Vista machine for Image calibration, Astrodon HaLRGB filters (15 flats each Ha,L,R,G,B, Bias subtracted and Sigma Clip combined, 25 bias frames Sigma Clip combined, 12-1800s and 15-900s darks Sigma Clip combined), alignment, normalization, FITS master files creation, and RGB raw TIFF creation. Photoshop CS2 for final HaLRGB processing, final layers adjustment and jpg conversion for the website.
Conditions: Very Good, around mag. 6-7.
Scope: Takahashi FSQ-106N @ f/5
Camera: SBIG ST-11K/FW8, -20°
Comments: This one was taken at my remote observatory in the Sierra Nevada mountains. This was started in September and finally finished and processed in October. Many nights of image acquisition. Issues with the scope/camera connection existed causing elongated stars in the corners, so the image is slightly cropped. The image train will be reworked to clear this up. I actually took about twice the amount of exposures that were used, but ended up not using them for various reasons, ie: clouds came through, erratic guiding, bad focusing, poor seeing, so this is the best of what I got. The Ha was blended with the Red in CCDStack before processing in Photoshop which worked quite well. When you add it all up ... just over 46 hours in this one.. Whew !!