Spiral Galaxy M 98

Collaboration Project with Wolfgang Ries and Stefan Heutz

clic for 42% size 1360 x 937 (195 kB)

Clic here for 70% size 2700x1850 (800 kB)

 

About this Image

Messier 98 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. M98 is nearly edge-on and displays a chaotic, diffuse disk, containing some blue regions of newly formed stars, and a huge quantity of occulting dust.
This galaxy is a member of the Virgo Cluster, comprising approximately 1300 member galaxies, The cluster forms the heart of the larger Local Supercluster, of which the Local Group is an outlying member. Other famous members of this cluster are M84, M87, M86, and M49, as well as NGC4435/4438 (The Eyes) and NGC 4388, NGC4402, NGC4425.

Find a counter clockwise rotated close-up on the galaxy in 40/80% size below.

Find the version of the same raw data processed by Stefan Heutz here.

 

clic for 80% size 1749 x 1200 (448 kB)


Technical Details
Optics

L: 16" cassegrain in secondary focus at f/10 (Panther-Observatory)
RGB: 18" Newton at f/5.3 (Seng Observatory)

Mount L: MK-100 GEM
RGB: Gierlienger GEM
Camera L: SBIG STL-11000M at -20C, 8-pos filter wheel
RGB: SBIG ST10 XME
Filters Baader LRGB
Date Apr 15-21, 2009.
Location L: Wildon/Austria
RGB: Seng/Altschwendt Austria
Sky Conditions mag 5 sky, raw FWHM L 1.8-2.5", temperature 10-15 C
RGB: raw FWHM approx. 3"
Exposure L = 480 minutes (20 minute sub-exposures),
R:G:B = 88:110:176 min by Wolfgang Ries
Programs used Maxim DL 4.5;
CCDStack
Fitsliberator
Photoshop CS3
North is to the bottom right side;