NGC 4565

New image: NGC 4565, edge on spiral galaxy.

On my last trip to the Flint Hills with Photon Phil we discussed shooting NGC 4565. A few weeks ago I imaged it for two nights at my observatory collecting about three hours of exposure.

When shooting at my observatory I try to image the target when it is as high as possible while also in a favorable location in the sky. The Clear Sky Clock shows my area as yellow so it is not that dark. Staying within a specific area of the sky reduces how long I can expose but greatly helps me reduce the light pollution gradients. If only my backyard was like the Okie-Tex Star Party site <sigh>.

Full Moon: April Fools

Even mother nature likes April Fools day. Tonight has been crystal clear with very good seeing. Ideal for astrophotography, except the moons full tonight. Yes one could do narrow band imaging but I’m not set up to do that with my DSLR.

Time for some good old visual astronomy. Saturn was awesum in the eyepiece. The steady seeing allowed me to use more magnification than normal. But that moon sure is bright!