Spring Galaxies

20:08 31/3/2009 UTC

I was privileged to have my camera attached for the first astroimaging test with a monster telescope of Ursa Amateur Astronomy Association 91cm folded newton telescope in Artjärvi Observatory. Lots of work with that telescope is still needed but some results were possible. It is amazing how well this first test went, knowing the FL is almost about 3.5m, focal ratio is 3.75 and the beast weights like one metric tonne! This scope has a great potential to reveal some interesting structure from planetary nebula and dim galaxies when everything is tuned to max and one can really have looong exposures.

I made a collage from the images we took that night. It took under a two hours to gather all this. Image exposures varies from 9 to 21 frames, all 20s each. That was enough to reach a sky limit in 21 mag/arcsec2 sky.

NGC/IC Object List:
NGC5194 galaxy RA:13h29m52.6 Dec:+47°11m'44" BMag: 8.9, M 51 Whirlpool Galaxy
NGC5195 galaxy RA:13h29m59.2 Dec:+47°16m'03" BMag:10.5, UGC 8494
NGC5055 galaxy RA:13h15m49.0 Dec:+42°01m'59" BMag: 9.3, M 63 Sunflower Galaxy
NGC4826 galaxy RA:12h56m43.8 Dec:+21°40m'59" BMag: 9.3, M 64 Black-Eye Galaxy
NGC4565 galaxy RA:12h36m20.5 Dec:+25°59m'16" BMag:10.3, UGC 7772
NGC3031 galaxy RA:09h55m33.5 Dec:+69°04m'02" BMag: 7.8, M 81 Bode's Galaxy
NGC3034 galaxy RA:09h55m54.0 Dec:+69°40m'59" BMag: 9.2, M 82 Ursa Major A
NGC4321 galaxy RA:12h22m54.9 Dec:+15°49m'22" BMag:10.1, M 100
NGC4594 galaxy RA:12h39m59.3 Dec:-11°37m'21" BMag: 9.2, M 104 Sombrero Galaxy
NGC5457 galaxy RA:14h03m12.4 Dec:+54°20m'58" BMag: 8.2, M 101 Pinwheel Galaxy

Camera: Atik Instruments 4000LE | Telescope: Ursa Artjärvi Observatory 91cm f3.75 Astrofox Folded Newton | Mount: Ursa Dome 1 | Filters: Baader IR/UV block | Guiding: - | Exposure: L 9 to 21x20s per image binned 3x3 CCD @ -20° f3.75 | Software: CCDWare CCDStack, Adobe Photoshop CS4, GradientXTerminator Plugin, Artemis Capture | Location: 60°44'00"N 26°12'46"E (Tähtikallion Observatory/Artjärvi, FI) | Background sky brightness (SQM): 20.99 mag/arcsec² | Target altitude in the beginning of the exposure 61°