This deep 52.5hr exposure, collected over 10 nights, is centered on the region around the enigmatic galaxy Centaurus A.
Perhaps all seen for the first time, in the one image and in full colour, this 4deg X 4deg vista showcases several rarely
viewed characteristics of this famous galaxy and the surrounding field, they include:
1) The full extent of and the bipolar nature, of the huge galactic halo around Centaurus A, which covers 1.2deg of sky.
2) The extent of Halpha emission in the dark dust lane that runs across the centre of the galaxy.
3) The over 100,000 light year long path (red) of influence of the relativistic jet, that emanates from the super massive
black hole at the core of Centaurus A and which is channelling high energy material into the outer reaches of the huge
galaxy halo and exciting Hydrogen to emit deep red light, along the way!
4) The extremely faint galactic Cirrus dust hovering above the plain of The Milky Way, both reflecting the (mostly blue)
light of the millions of stars in our galaxy as a whole, as well as emitting very faint red Halpha light of its own, making
the dust a weak blue-red colour. This tenuous galactic dust shines at a feeble 27-28 mag/squ arc sec!
Takahashi FSQ106EDX4
FLI Proline 16803, CFW-5-7, Robofocus
LHaRGB = 1470, 1050, 215, 215, 200min = 52.5 hrs total exposure (bin 1X1)
New Deep-Sky RGB Astronomik filters
-30C chip temp, dark frames and flats (using Aurora Flat Field Panel) applied
Focal length 530mm, FOV = 4deg X 4deg
Image scale 3.5"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress Lodestar
Comments
Data collected over 10 nights between 25 April and 2 June 2019
Equipment setup:
https://pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/168910433
Some links to equipment used to take this image:
StarlightXpress CCD Cameras and imaging equipment
http://www.sxccd.com/products
Finger Lakes Instrumentation CCD cameras:
http://www.flicamera.com/
Astro Shop (Aus)
http://www.astroshop.com.au/
Astro-Elecronic FS2 scope GOTO controller:
http://www.astro-electronic.de/
Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:
http://www.astronomik.com/en/home
http://www.gerdneumann.net/
MSB Software & Astroart 5
http://www.msb-astroart.com/
Catseye Collimation
http://www.catseyecollimation.com/
STAR Atlas:PRO planetarium software:
http://www.staratlaspro.com/
