SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Ron Brooks
Location of Photo:
Cherry Springs State Park, PA
Date/Time of photo:
September 19-20, 2025
Equipment:
William Optics Plieades 111, ZWO ASI2600MM, Antlia Pro V Broadband and 3nm Narrowband filters, William Optics 50mm guide w/ZWO 120mm camera, ZWO ASIAir Plus, ZWO AM5
Description:
Messier 82 (NGC 3034) is a nearby starburst galaxy whose intense central star formation drives a large-scale bipolar superwind. In this image, narrowband Hα emission traces ionized gas expelled perpendicular to the galactic disk by the combined effects of stellar winds and supernovae. This image is a heavily cropped section of a wider field acquired with a 111-mm apochromatic refractor and a monochrome CMOS camera. Broadband LRGB data record the stellar continuum and dust-rich disk, while Hα data isolate the superwind morphology. The low elevation of the target during September observations from the northern hemisphere imposed significant seeing and extinction challenges, making the preservation of faint emission structure and natural stellar profiles a priority in processing.
