This is a wide-field framing of the heart of the Coma-Virgo cluster of galaxies in the northern spring sky, with galaxies galore in the frame, including a dozen Messier objects. The field is 7.5° by 5°, so similar to binoculars. The faintest galaxies here are about 12th magnitude. Just below the centre is the Marakarian's Chain of galaxies including the Messier galaxies M84 and M86. The giant elliptical M87 (famous for having its central black hole imaged) is below and to the left of the Chain. There are many other Messier objects in the field — At top right around the blue star 6 Comae is the trio of M98 (at the far edge), M99 (below and right of 6 Comae) and M100 (at top). At left are M88, M91, M90 amd M89. At bottom left is M58 and M59. M60 just squeaks onto the frame. This is a stack of 10 x 6 minute exposures with the SharpStar 61 EDPH II refractor at f/4.5 and the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 100. This is a single framing, not a mosaic. Taken from home April 24, 2022. Haze moving in spoiled exposures taken after this set. Dithered with MGEN3 autoguider; no darks applied. applied.
A wide-field image of the Coma-Virgo Galaxy Cluster including the Messier galaxies around the star 6 Comae at top right, down to the galaxies of Markarian’s Chain at bottom left, including several other Messiers. The field is about 4 degrees high and 6 degrees wide. This is a stack of 5 x 8-minute exposures through the SharpStar 76mm EDPH refractor and with the SharpStar flattener/reducer for f/4.5, and with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 800. An additional exposure taken through light cloud layered in added the star glows. Clouds prevented more exposures.
The main field of galaxies in the Coma-Virgo Galaxy Cluster, centred on the Markarian’s Chain line of galaxies, including bright ellipticals Messier 84, 86 and 87. At upper right is the star 6 Comae flanked by the spirals M98, M99 and M100. At lower left is the group of M58, M59 and M60, with M89 and M90 above them at left of centre. M88 and M91 are above those at upper left. Numerous NGC galaxies populate the field. The collection contains a variety of galaxy types: giant elliptical as well as spirals, both edge-on and face-on. This is a stack of 14 x 3-minute exposures, with the William Optics RedCat 51mm astrograph at f/5, and with the Canon EOS Ra at ISO 1250, on the Astro-Physics Mach1 mount, tracking but not guided. The field is 8° x 5°. Taken May 13, 2020 from home on a very clear moonless night. Despite the scope being out for a while before I started shooting, its focus shifted slightly during the hour of exposures as the night cooled, making the last exposures a little soft. All stacked and median combined in Photoshop CC as there were satellite trails in many frames.
