In the realm of astrophotography, each image captures a moment suspended in time, offering a window into the cosmos. Last year, I had the opportunity to capture the breathtaking M64 galaxy, also known as the “Black Eye Galaxy.” After some time and the acquisition of new processing skills, I decided to revisit this data, unleashing its full potential. The result is an image that not only highlights M64 but also reveals numerous distant galaxies, reminding me of the boundless beauty and scale of our universe.
The Black Eye Galaxy: A Closer Look
M64 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 17 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It’s often referred to as the Black Eye Galaxy due to the prominent dark dust lane in front of its bright nucleus, giving the appearance of a black eye. This galaxy is a fascinating object of study due to its unique structure and the peculiar counter-rotating inner disk of stars and gas, which suggests a past galactic collision.
The Hidden Treasures
While M64 was my primary target, I discovered numerous faint, distant galaxies scattered throughout the background of the image. These galaxies appear as small, barely discernible specks of light, their details lost in the vast expanse of space. This discovery was a humbling reminder of the sheer enormity of the universe and how much there is still to explore and understand. Always inspect your images carefully; you might find unexpected gems hidden within!
The Challenges of Urban Astrophotography
Capturing and processing M64 was not always easy considering my Bortle 8 sky conditions. Galaxies are broadband targets, so it is more difficult to filter out light pollution, they emit light over the entire spectrum, so using any filter already results in the loss signal and distorts color. Bortle 8 skies, present a significant challenge for astrophotography, as the light pollution can easily drown out faint celestial objects. However, with the Astronomik CLS CCD filter, some perseverance and processing techniques that I’ve learnt over the past year, I was able to bring out some of the galaxy’s intricate details and the faint distant galaxies lurking in the background.
Equipment and Software Used
Here’s a detailed look at the equipment and software that made this capture possible:
- Observatory: Pulsardome 2.2m
- Mount: Skywatcher EQ6R-Pro
- Telescope: Celestron C8 Edge HD with 0.7 focal reducer
- Camera: ZWO ASI294MC-Pro
- Filter: CLS CCD
- Acquisition Software: N.I.N.A (Nighttime Imaging ‘N’ Astronomy)
- Processing Software: PixInsight
These tools, combined with the experience and skills gained over the past year, enabled me to process the data more effectively, highlighting both M64 and the myriad of distant galaxies in the image.
Processing
Processing the image was done in PixInsight, from stacking, to final image. Besides my typical workflow, correcting the colors due to the filter used, and getting rid of the light pollution gradient. I also used RC-Astro’s BlurXterminator to reveal more detail in the galaxy, and NoiseXterminator to reduce the noise in the image.
The Beauty of the Universe
Processing this image of M64 and discovering the hidden distant galaxies has deepened my appreciation for the universe’s beauty and vastness. Each photograph is not just a picture but a journey through time, capturing light that has traveled millions of years to reach us.
Keep stargazing, and remember, look past your target and see what might be hiding in the background of your own images.
The Result
Note: For those interested in the technical aspects, I’ve included an annotated version of the image highlighting the distant galaxies. It’s truly amazing to see how much more there is to an image than meets the eye at first glance.
