M58

Click on image for larger version.

This barred spiral galaxy is one of the brighter galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. It is located 60 million light years away. Other barred spiral galaxies in the Messier list include M91, M95 and M109.

Equipment

Meade 16in LX200 telescope operating at f/6.3
SBIG ST8E CCD camera with color filter wheel

L R G B color production was used to create this image.

Luminance = 72 minutes binned 1x1
 Red = 20 minutes binned 3x3
 Green = 20 minutes binned 3x3
 Blue = 40 minutes binned 3x3
  • Clouds interrupted the color exposures.
  • Since the outer extent of the galaxy is so dim (and noisy) I applied a subtle low-pass FFT filter to the image.
  • Two iterations of L-R deconvolution (sharpening) algorithm using CCDsharp were applied to the luminance image.

  • Digital Developement (DDP) via Maxim/DL was also used in order to display the the very dim and very bright details of the image simultaneously.

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    Minimum credit line: Fred Cieslak/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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    Updated: 2/19/2001