Messier 64 - The Black Eye Galaxy
Messier 64, also known as the Black Eye Galaxy, immediately caught my interest as a target after seeing it in the Messier Catalog. What drew me in was its unusual core. Unlike the bright centers typically seen in galaxies, the core of M64 appears much darker. This is due to a thick band of dust lying in front of the bright galactic nucleus, which partially blocks the light and gives the appearance of a cosmic black eye.
Located about 17 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices, Messier 64 is also known for its curious internal structure. The stars in the inner regions of the galaxy rotate in one direction, while the gas in the outer regions rotates in the opposite direction. Astronomers believe this unusual motion is the result of a long-ago merger with a smaller galaxy.
While processing the image, I was surprised to see the faint presence of the Integrated Flux Nebula in the background. Even with just 6 hours and 42 minutes of total exposure time, this faint, dusty glow became visible as a soft, grayish cloud. I had no idea it was present in this part of the sky, so it came as a fun surprise. The Integrated Flux Nebula is not part of M64 but is made up of diffuse dust clouds in our own galaxy. These clouds reflect and scatter the combined light of the Milky Way, creating a subtle glow that is notoriously difficult to capture. I’ve edited it once before in my M81 & M82 image from last year, so this time I kinda knew how to get some detail in it. It was a rewarding challenge to reveal it in the final image.
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
6hr 42min
134x 180sec
Calibration frames:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI2600MC AIR
🌌 Optolong L-Pro
Messier 33 - The Triangulum Galaxy
Messier 33, also known as the Triangulum Galaxy, is the third-largest member of our Local Group of galaxies, located about 3 million light-years away in the constellation Triangulum. This beautiful spiral galaxy is full of intricate details, from its bright, star-filled core to its sweeping spiral arms. Capturing its true beauty took a few attempts, and it wasn't until I processed several versions that I achieved the result I was aiming for. Each edit helped bring out more of the galaxy's delicate structure and color, and in the end, I was thrilled with the final image. The subtle mix of stars, nebulae, and dust within the galaxy makes it a captivating object to photograph, and I'm happy to share this version of Messier 33 with you!
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
7hr 00min
140x 180sec
Calibration frames:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI294MC Pro
🌌 Optolong L-Pro
Messier 94 - The Cat’s Eye Galaxy
Messier 94 is the strangest galaxy I’ve photographed so far. Its structure is unlike most galaxies, featuring a striking layered design. At the center lies a blue-red starburst ring where new stars are actively being formed. Surrounding this is a yellowish ring made up of older stars, marking a region with much less star formation. And as if that weren’t enough, the entire system is wrapped in a faint, extended halo of stars and gas a feature that's rarely seen this clearly.
Located about 16 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, M94 stands out both visually and structurally. To capture this image, I gathered a total of 16.9 hours of exposure time over the course of seven clear nights. This long integration allowed me to reveal both the bright inner rings colours and the faint outer halo that gives this galaxy its truly unique appearance.
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
16hr 54min
338x 180sec
Calibration frames:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI2600MC AIR
🌌 Optolong L-Pro
Messier 63 - The Sunflower Galaxy
Messier 63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy, is a beautiful spiral galaxy that really does resemble a flower, with its bright, swirling arms. This galaxy is located about 27 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici and is known for its striking appearance. At the center of Messier 63 lies a supermassive black hole, though unlike other black holes that emit bright jets or bursts of energy, this one is much more subtle. It doesn’t show dramatic features, but astronomers have been able to detect its presence by studying the motion of the stars and gas around it. These movements suggest there's something incredibly dense at the core—something that can only be a black hole!
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
8hr 27min
169x 180sec
Calibration frames for each day:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI2600MC AIR
🌌 Optolong L-Pro
Messier 65, 66 and NGC 3628 - The Leo Triplet
The Leo Triplet is a group of three galaxies: Messier 65, Messier 66, and NGC 3628, located about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. These galaxies are interacting with each other, which gives them a dynamic and fascinating appearance. Messier 65 and Messier 66 are spiral galaxies, while NGC 3628 is a barred spiral galaxy. The gravitational pull between them causes some interesting features, such as distorted shapes and long tidal tails of gas and dust stretching out from the galaxies. The Leo Triplet is a great example of how galaxies evolve over time due to interactions with their neighbors, making it a popular target for astrophotographers. Next year, I plan to take on a bigger project to capture even more detailed images of the tidal tails, aiming to highlight these fascinating structures even better.
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
1hr 30min
30x 180sec
Calibration frames:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI2600MC AIR
🌌 Optolong L-Pro
Messier 101 - The Pinwheel Galaxy
Messier 101, also known as the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a stunning face-on spiral galaxy located about 21 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Capturing this beauty was a major project, requiring 25 hours of exposure time and the use of two filters to bring out its full potential. I used the Optolong L-Pro filter to preserve as much of the natural color of the galaxy as possible, allowing the subtle hues of the stars and nebulae to shine through. For the star-forming regions, I used the Optolong L-eNhance filter, which helped highlight the Hydrogen Alpha (Ha) and Oxygen III (OIII) emission areas, revealing the rich, vibrant regions of star formation.
In 2023, I was fortunate enough to capture Supernova SN 2023ixf in Messier 101, just one day after it was widely reported that a supernova had occurred in this galaxy. At the time, the supernova appeared as an incredibly bright dot in the image, though, two years later, it is no longer visible. Despite the absence of the supernova now, Messier 101 remains a beautiful and captivating galaxy, and I’m thrilled with how the final image turned out after 25 hours of exposure and extensive processing.
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
11hr 15min
225x 180sec
Optolong L-eNhance lights:
14hr 00min
280x 180sec
Calibration frames:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ6-R Pro
📸 ZWO ASI2600MC AIR
🌌 Optolong L-Pro & L-eNhance
Messier 81, 82 and The Integrated Flux Nebula
This image captures the stunning Messier 81 (M81) and Messier 82 (M82) galaxies, two prominent members of the M81 group located about 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M81 is a beautiful spiral galaxy, while M82, often referred to as the "Cigar Galaxy," is a starburst galaxy undergoing intense star formation. What makes this photo even more special is the presence of the Integrated Flux Nebula (IFN), a faint and diffuse cloud of dust scattered throughout our Milky Way. The IFN often gets overlooked due to its faintness, but in this image, I was surprised to see it clearly after just 8 hours of exposure. The IFN adds a beautiful, delicate glow across the image, giving it a sense of depth and mystery.
I’m especially proud of this image, as it was part of my entry into the 2024 William Optics Astrophotography Competition. Out of more than 300 participants, I was thrilled to make it into the top 20, a recognition that truly meant a lot to me. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication that went into capturing and processing this stunning scene!
Acquisition details:
Optolong L-Pro lights:
18hr 33min
371x 180sec
Calibration frames for each day:
20 Darks
20 Flats
20 Biases
Bortle: 5
Gear used:
🔭 Askar 103APO
⚙️ Skywatcher EQ5 Pro
📸 ZWO ASI294MC Pro
🌌 Optolong L-Pro