M82

M82 is a bright and irregular galaxy, possibly disrupted by a close encounter with it's nearby neighbor, M81. The pair resides in the Big Dipper and precedes the bowl. This shot was taken at the Central Florida Astro Society's Astrofest in March.

Image info:

12"LX200 on a Losmandy Titan Mount

Starlight Express
SXV-H9C

31x4 mins

f/5.3 (Optec FR)

Stacked in Maxim with Sigma Reject (Russ Croman) and processed in Astroart (no darks and no flats)

guided with an STV on a piggybacked Sky90 refractor

3.19.04

CFAS Astrofest in Seminole County