Object

M82 (NGC 3034) The Cigar Galaxy

Object Information

Image information

Object Type

Galaxy (Irregularl) Type Ir-II

Instrument

LX200GPS 14” OTA @ F5 effective FL≈1778mm

Constellation

Ursa Major

Guiding

SXV / SkyWatcher 80mm achro @ F/6

Magnitude

+8.4

Focal Reducer

Optec NextGen 0.5x

Coordinates

RA 09:55.8 Dec +69:41

Mount

Paramount ME

Size

9 x 4 arc min

Location

Stoney Hills, S.E England

Distance

12 Million Light Years

Acquisition Date

26 / 27th March 2007

Notes

M82 is a bright irregular galaxy. The distorted shape is probably due to a close gravitational encounter with it’s more massive neighbour M81.

M82 is notable as having the brightest apparent infrared emissions of any galaxy. Visible in the above image are the colossal jets of gas being ejected from the core. These galactic jets are emitting strongly in the radio frequency spectrum

Discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 31 1774 and independently again by Pierre Méchain in August 1779. Messier it to his catalogue in 1781.

Capture Device

Starlight-Xpress SXV-H9 Sony ICX285AL Exview HAD Cooled CCD Array 1392 x 1040 @ 6.45uM / Pixel 

Filter Type

Astronomik Type IIc RGB

Colour Technique

LRGB

FOV

≈16.38 x 12.24 arc mins (0.706 arcsec/pixel)

Exposure

420m (7hours) Total

Integration

L (39 x 200 sec bin 1x1)

Ha (10 x 1200 sec bin 1x1)

R (10 x 170 sec bin 2x2)

G (10 x 150 sec bin 2x2)

B (11 x 200 sec bin 2x2)

Notes

Bias and Flats applied to LRGB channels - dark calibration additionally applied to the Ha channel. Red and Ha / Luminance and Ha were both merged equally after background level corrections. Combined in Maxim, additional processing in PSCS2.

This image shows many improvements over the the last image taken (M81). The mount was aligned better and the colour sub frame exposure ratios were better balanced. Focussing corrections to account for thermal expansion were more accurate. The strip down and reassembly of the optics in the LX200 SCT tube a few months ago is now showing results in better resolution and less aberrations.