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NGC 3718 with NGC 3729

Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:19 pm
by Menno555
I know: again a capture?? :o
We had a streak of clear nights here, so I could work on my list. This was on there: NGC 3718 (on the right) with NGC 3729.

A nice pair at around 59 million lightyear which is part of the Ursa Major Cluster.
NGC 3718 is thought to got his particular shape due to gravitational interaction with NGC 3729 in the far past.
The small cluster of 5 galaxies below NGC 3718 is called Hickson 56 and is around 400 million lightyears.

It was a tough capture though and processing due to the position. It's in a part of the sky where somehow the light pollution here is not in my favour.
But it is what it is, so I'm happy with the result :)

Bortle 6/7
Meade LX200 8" f/10 ACF OTA
Ioptron CEM25EC mount (no guiding)
Baader IR/UV Cut filter
Baader Neodymium Skyglow filter
Zwo ASI071MC Pro camera

Captured with SharpCap Pro @ -10 Celsius / White balance R50 B50
Baader IR/UV Cut: 60 x 300 sec / Gain 0 / Offset 4
Baader Neodymium Skyglow: 48 x 300sec / Gain 90 / Offset 4
Per set 20 darks, 50 flats and 50 darkflats.

Stacked with DeepSkyStacker

Processed with Siril en Photoshop
Siril: both stacks Background Extraction and Histogram
Photoshop: curves, levels, Camera Raw Filter (blacks, color saturation, clarity, noise reduction)

NGC 3718.jpg
NGC 3718.jpg (571.48 KiB) Viewed 1000 times

Re: NGC 3718 with NGC 3729

Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2022 12:00 pm
by Vesmaobs261
Wow Menno,
A really great image, and with no guiding.
The Ioptron mount is really worth its weight
in gold.
Images like that are what we all strive for.
All the best
George Makaroff :D

Re: NGC 3718 with NGC 3729

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2022 7:07 pm
by Menno555
Thank you so much George!
Indeed the Ioptron mount is exception al. It does take some tweaking of the tracking rate but it's pure gold :)

Menno