M64, the Black Eye Galaxy, captured with a C-11 SCT in Summer 2018

By: Peter Nerbun August 16, 2018 0

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Photographer:

Peter Nerbun

Location of Photo:

Perry Hall, Maryland USA

Date/Time of photo:

Aug 6 2018 & earlier

Equipment:

C11 SCT, On-Axis Guider (ONAG), ATIK 460EX main imaging camera, Lodestar X2 guide camera, Losmandy G11 mount, ZWO EFW Mini Electronic Five-Position Filter Wheel, Luminance, R, G, & B filters, IDAS LPS-P2-48 light pollution filter, HSM Stepper Motor for Starlight Feather Touch fine Micro-Focuser, Digital Boss II Focuser Control System, F/6.3 Reducer, Spike-a Flat Field panel

Description:

This is my image of Messier 64, the Black Eye Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenecies. Here is a summary of the length and number of camera exposures and dates for each of the color filters that I used over a period of 14 hours in June, July and August 2018: Red: 14 x 8 minutes on July 7 2018 9 x 9 minutes on Aug 4 2018 Total = 193 minutes Green: 12 x 8 minutes on July 9 2018 11 x 8 minutes on Jul 14 2018 Total = 184 minutes Blue : 16 x 8 minutes on July 8 2018 1 x 5 minutes on Aug 6 2018 1 x 9 minutes on Aug 6 2018 11 x 8 minutes on Aug 6 2018 Total = 230 minutes Luminance: 7 x 8 minutes on June 14 2018 21 x 5 minutes on June 15 2018 14 x 5 minutes on June 16 2018 Total = 231 minutes Total Integration Time = 838 minutes (14 hours). The Black Eye galaxy collided with another galaxy and absorbed it more than a billion years ago; in the process a dark dust feature was deposited near the center of my image on the right side of the galaxy's core.