M82 - Enhanced Hydrogen Comparison

Peculiar Galaxy in Ursa Major

Uploaded 3/20/07

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This very peculiar edge on spiral galaxy is both bright and a challenge to process because of the very faint an tenuous hydrogen streamers projecting from the core in a bipolar fashion. The image on the left is a total of 4h of exposure and represents the standard G2V calibrated view of this enigmatic object. On the right 5h of additional hydrogen light exposure data was added to bring up the incredible sprays of gas emanating from the core.

Field Description:

M82 dominates the center of this image, spanning a huge 11 arcminutes across, this 9.3 magnitude spiral is inclined only 7 degrees from our line of sight. Classed as an IO sp, this peculiar galaxy is famous for the expanding bipolar outflow of hydrogen emanating perpendicular to the disk. This galaxy is moderately red, with a B-V index of .90 it is ruddier than most. This galaxy also has an IRAS designation as well as an ARP number.

 Just to the lower left in this image from the galaxies core, we find a 20th magnitude quasar, Hoag 1 which beams with a soft blue color in the center of this image. We know today that quasars are active galactic nuclei - black holes, in very distant galaxies. This field goes down to 22rd magnitude.

Two very dim spirals also can be seen in the entire frame shot (top of this page). Just to the lower left of the bright orange 9th magnitude star that is blazing to the upper right of M82 is MAC 0954+6944, a 17th magnitude object barely .5 minutes across. The very obvious face on spiral to the lower left of the field is MAC 0958+6936 which is a 18th magnitude object with a bright core spanning .4 minutes in size. Finally, two deep yellow galaxy clusters are along the right edge. One at the top contains dozens of members, mostly 19 - 21st magnitude.

Instrument: 12.5" f/5 Home made Newtonian Mount: Astrophysics 1200 QMD CCD Camera: SBIG 10XME NABG with Enhanced Water Cooling Guider: SBIG ST4 w/Lumicon Newt Easy Guider Exposure: Ha+LRGB = 300+120:40:40:40 (RGB Binned 2x2) AstroDon RGB Combine Ratio: 1: 1.05: 1.11 Location: Payson, Arizona, Elevation: 5150 ft. Sky: Seeing FWHM = 6 arcsec (Maxim DL - 10min subframe), Transparency 8/10 Outside Temperature: 45 F CCD Temperature: -30 C Image Processing Tools: Maxim DL: Calibration, deblooming (Starizona Debloomer), aligning, stacking Gralaks Sigma: Stacking PixInsight: Curves, Deconvolution, noise reduction Photoshop CS2: Curves, Color Correction, Gradient removal (Grad Xterminator), Cleanup HOME GALAXIES EMISSION NEBS REFLECTION NEBS COMETS GLOBULARS OPEN CLUST PLANETARIES LINKS
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