** Astronomy's Picture of the Day 14 Oct 2008 **
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=pod&id=186&aid=7469
******* About this Image ************
NGC 6744 is one of the skies finest spiral galaxies and very similar to our own Milky Way galaxy!
Apart from the countless background galaxies visible across the frame, this image appears to be
covered in smoke...well..actually, it is! The slight smokyness is in fact a curtain of very faint
dust known as Galacitc Cirrus in our own Milky Way. This faint dust, shining at around 27mag/squ
arc sec, can be faintly seen throughout the image particularly in the upper left region. To see the
Galactic Cirrus dust more clearly, see the enhanced luminance version - link below.
See a 100% size, full res, full frame image here (13.5meg):
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/103970854/original
See a 70% size image here (5meg):
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/103969309/original
See a detailed close-up crop of the main galaxy here (3meg):
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/103969154/original
See an even closer crop of the galaxy:
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/106934751/original
See a Luminance only (slight crop) here (2.3meg):
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/103930130/original
See an enhanced Luminance to show the Galactic Cirrus dust (1meg):
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/103969838/original
See an amplified UK Schmidt photo by David Malin:
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/104041958/original
AP152 F7.5 Starfire APO refractor with 4" field flattener
FLI ProLine11002 CCD & CFW-2-7
LRGB = 220 60 60 60min (all bin 1X1) Astronomik filters
-35C chip temp, darks and flats (AstroHandy LightRing used for flats)
12MPPS download speed = 1.5sec/full frame download at bin 1X1.
FOV = 1.8deg X 1.2deg at 1.6"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress SXVH9
Comments:
Taken from Wiruna, the dark sky site of the Astronomical Society of NSW in very
windy conditions and poor seeing, see set-up at Wiruna here:
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/81003751/original
Some links to equipment used to take this image:
Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:
http://www.fli-cam.com/
Astro-Elecronic FS2 scope GOTO controller:
http://www.astro-electronic.de/
Gerd Neumann/Astronomik filters:
http://www.gerd.neumann.net/
http://www.astronomik.com/
MSB Software & Astroart 4
http://www.msb-astroart.com/
STAR Atlas:PRO planetarium software:
http://www.skylab.com.au/
AstroHandy Accessories
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/astrohandy_lightring
http://www.astrohandy.com
CCTV.com Security and Surveillance Equipment
http://www.123-cctv.com/
