Leo Triplet

20:04 24/3/2007 UTC

Last image from Solar System Meet in Artjärvi. Eventually I just had to make a side step to deep sky. In Artjärvi the sky is so dark a little moonlight and lousy transparency is still a lot better than good weather in my light polluted backyard. The image was easy to process because I did not have to remove the complex gradients of light pollution. I feel I don't want to image galaxies from my backyard anymore...

NGC/IC Object List:
NGC3623 galaxy RA:11h18m55.6 Dec:+13°05m'27" BMag:10.1, M 65
NGC3627 galaxy RA:11h20m15.1 Dec:+12°59m'24" BMag: 9.7, M 66
NGC3628 galaxy RA:11h20m16.7 Dec:+13°35m'24" BMag:10.4, UGC 6350

Camera: Modified Canon EOS 350D | Telescope: Skywatcher ED80 Pro 80mm f7.5 refractor, William Optics 0.8x focal reducer | Mount: Orion Skyview Pro, Boxdoerfer PowerFlex MTS-3SLP drive controller | Filters: Baader IR/UV block | Guiding: Orion ShortTube 80mm f5 refractor, QCGuider, Teleskop-Service 1.5x Barlow, Phillips ToUCam Pro II webcam | Exposure: 17x240s (1h8m) ISO800 f6, 8 darks, 15 flats, bias | Software: IRIS, GIMP | Location: 60°44'00"N 26°12'46"E (Tähtikallio Observatory/Artjärvi, FI) | Image Field: 1.584 x 1.188 degrees | Image Center: Ra 11h19m43s Dec +13°17'50" | Target altitude in the beginning of the exposure 40°