Markarian's Chain and The Galactic Face

21:26 14/4/2007 UTC

While I had a chance to be under dark skies in Artjärvi, I had to image galaksies. Short focal length isn't the best for small galaxies , however groups of them are very nice targets. From my home low southern sky is covered with heavy light pollution and I haven't been imaging this target. In Artjärvi the conditions are completely opposite. I set up my camera to take images of this group despite of occasional clouds. Sometimes sky was completely covered by clouds, but I still got some hour and a half of good images (and lots of clouds and haze). M84 and M86 forms the eyes of the Galactic Face. Markarian's Chain runs left from the Face towards the top left corner.

Camera: Modified Canon EOS 350D | Telescope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro 80mm f7.5 refractor, William Optics 0.8x focal reducer | Mount: Orion Skyview Pro, Boxdoerfer PowerFlex MTS-3SLP drive controller | Filters: Baader IR/UV block | Guiding: , Orion ShortTube 80mm f5 refractor, QCGuider, Teleskop-Service 1.5x Barlow, Phillips ToUCam Pro II webcam | Exposure: 21x240s (1h24m) ISO800 f6, 10 darks, 15 flats, bias | Software: IRIS, GIMP | Location: 60°44'00"N 26°12'46"E (Tähtikallion Observatory/Artjärvi, FI)