NGC 253
(Type: Galaxy, Const: Sculptor, Mag: 7.2, Size: 25.0'x7.0')
- 2004-Dec-11 - SXV-H9 image
of NGC 253 (Meade LX10 OTA at f/5.2
on G11, an LRGB composite of 50:17:15:20 minutes of
exposure, SXV guidehead at 170mm on ST80 guided through
MaxIm, no calibration, all from LBV (seeing 6, transp 5
(85+% humidity)), Processing: MaxIm (align, combine,
resize RGBs & Ha 2X, flatten backgrounds, LHaRGB, DDP
(low-pass) luminance, combine Ha R 30%-70%, color
combine), Neat Image (noise reduction using default
values), PaintShop Pro (increase color saturation).
- 2002-Sep-09 - HX916 image
of NGC 253 using AIPs Automatic then
Black color balancing functions (an LRGB composite of
53:34:20:24 minutes of exposure (I used the 53 minute
luminance stack from Dec. 11th, 2001 below and 17x2, 10x2,
and 12x2 RGBs binned 2x2 from tonight at Anza), STV
guided, only darks applied to RGBs, [seeing 6,
transparency ~20.58 mag./sq-arcsecond for RGBs (69% r.h.),
tracking 2.0X, 1.8Y @ 2.0 sec]). The same image of NGC 253 color balanced
using AIPs G2V then Black color balance. I think the
brown version is closer to being "color correct". Which
one do you like? Let me know. :)
Note: The RGBs were
taken as 253 settled into the light pollution area of
Temecula so the S/N ratio is horrible. I'll have to take
more RGBs later.
- 12/11/2001 - HX916
image of NGC 253 (f/6.3, Meade LX10, 53
minute total exposure [stack of 21 1 minute images and 16
2 minute images - from 11/15/2001 and 12/11/2001,
respectively], STV guided, binned 2x2, only dark frames
applied, Gaussian deconvolved in AIP, from LBV). This is
a little deeper than the one below but exhibits a bit of
"donut" syndrome around the stars due to perhaps a bit too
much deconvolution. The linear features on the right and
bottom are from rotating the frames to match either other
- I left them in order to keep the images the same size
for easier comparison between images.
- 11/15/2001 - HX916
image of NGC 253 (f/6.3, Meade LX10, 10 minute total
exposure [a stack of 10 1 minute images], STV guided, binned
2x2, only dark frames applied, Gaussian deconvolved in AIP,
from LBV).
- 10/13/2001 - HX916
image of NGC 253 (f/6.3, Meade LX10, 10 minute total
exposure [a stack of 5 2 minute images], STV guided, binned
2x2, no dark or flat fields applied, no image adjustments,
from LBV).
- 9/15/2001 - STV image
of NGC 253 (f/5?, Meade LX10, track and
accumulate (8 of 90 seconds), wide mode, LBV). Quite a bit
of trailing and large stars due to wind and poor tracking.
- 11/25/2000 - STV image of
NGC 253 (f/3.75, Meade LX10,
track and accumulate (5 of 60 seconds), wide mode, LBV).
- 11/25/2000 - STV image of
NGC 253 (f/3.75, Meade LX10,
track and accumulate (1 of 60 seconds), wide mode, LBV).
- 10/28/2000 - STV image of NGC 253 (f/3.75, Meade LX10, track and
accumulate (3 of 60 seconds), wide mode, LBV).
- Digitized Sky Survey image of NGC
253 for comparison.