NGC2541 - older and somewhat unfinished!

This tiny galaxy, NGC 2541 is an unbarred spiral galaxy located about 40 million light-years away.  Taken on 2x nights in winter of 2019 is quite dim but shows a nice mottled and knotting in high res - https://i.imgur.com/ySLI2H0.png

 

At only 1hr in exposure, I consider this unfinished.  I'm still working on my Sequence Generator Pro routine and mount/guiding issues at this time.  Only recently did I  start to take good enough notes to refine my setup to include drift align, image grading and some base photometry to judge FWHM.  In the past I went for 'good enough' and struggled with pointing models, mount balance and general guiding issues which limited target finding, centering and time on target.  Two nights and only one hour?  Lame!

 

 

Blended LRGB

 I've been trying to get better at being organized, with my albums, processing and note keeping and understanding of MPC (Minor Planets - Asteroids, Plutoids, and comets).  In doing so I found some great details of a 14", mono-CCD of M106 and an older OSC-DSLR 6" rendition.  I decided to combine them, but just left it for my enjoyment.  Now I can publish it and share it with you here!  Enjoy!

Also of note is the tiny galaxy marked with the green arrow - NGC4248, I don't know why I marked it! :(  I also can't find what it is in any catalogs...

Here's my full galactic albums:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rW21YSiQb7yGnBzd6

https://imgur.com/a/LbziC

Cutting room floor - Horsehead and Flame Nebulae edition

 As part of my organizational methods, I have a folder called 'Unfinished'  The following experiment was put into that folder some years ago.  In 2017 I shot Orion's belt area using my C8i mount which is a single armed fork.  I got a custom plating method that allows me to pull off the C8i f/10 SCT and put on my 200mm Canon DSLR.  I used Magic Lantern to shoot some 1min subs, unguided and hit the trees not long after.  I wasn't happy with the original shot as it was at ISO6400 and not enough subs.  So I cut it only to find it 4 years later and realize it's not the worst!  I hope you enjoy!

Astronomical League and the great conjunction

 Trying to organize myself more paid off.  I found a nice email from the Astronomical League - https://www.astroleague.org/content/al-observing-challenge-special-observing-award , discussing the Great Jupiter/Saturn Conjunction of 2020!  Of course I had made plans to take photos as seen in this previous blog post - https://astromaphilli14.blogspot.com/2020/12/jupitersaturn-conjunction-2020.html

 

 

 

I'm quite proud of 1) being organized and 2) having some recognition for the efforts of observing, imaging and hosting an impromptu observing event for the local neighborhood.

 

Thanks for reading,

 

Mike