Accidental M31

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Apollo XX
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Accidental M31

Unread post by Apollo XX »

So last Wednesday I stumbled out the door to grab me a pic of an Iridium flyover/flare, and I say stumbled because I realized at about the last second that the pass was coming up sooner than I thought and I spent the next ten minutes literally tripping over myself trying to get set up. What it culminated in was a one-shot deal, with no time for test shots for aiming or exposure or any other silly little details that we always seem to be frothing on about.

Of course I missed. Lady luck wouldn't be having any of it on that night, and what I got was what pretty much amounted to a random shot in the dark. The flare was slated to pass right through Cassiopeia, and I saw it just fine with my eyes. It was a lovely one, very bright and vivid - and probably very photogenic. Although I wouldn't know, because the camera was aimed just a little too far to the right, or west as it would be called on the sphere. It wasn't a total loss though. I just happened to capture M31 and company, and I'm simply amazed by the detail revealed in a simple two minute exposure done with a basic camera sporting a completely pedestrian 50mm lens.

The wide-field view shows the FOV of the D5000/50mm combo, and the cropped view reveals some of the detail that was actually recorded. The inset photo of M31 is from the S&T website "Editor's Pick" feature, and was taken by John Vermette of Tuscon, Arizona. I included it because it provides a reference from which we can see that even in a simple exposure one can start to see spiral arm detail in M31, as well as its two companion galaxies, M110 and M32. It wasn't very long ago that we'd have never thought of recording such a thing from our backyards, a place where we frolic and cook hot dogs and engage in all manner of human frivolities...and now see deep into space. Modern technology rules! :lol:

Image

Image

One exposure, Nikon D5000, 50mm, F2.8, ISO640, 120 seconds, hand-driven hinge tracker.
"The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens." - Anaxagoras
Bruce D
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Re: Accidental M31

Unread post by Bruce D »

That's beautiful Mike, and with a hinge tracker! Amazing!
Bruce D
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NGC7000
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Re: Accidental M31

Unread post by NGC7000 »

I love shots like that , Mike. Well done.

Uh, any idea when the hot dogs will be ready? :lol:

Tom
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Apollo XX
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Re: Accidental M31

Unread post by Apollo XX »

Bruce and Tom, it's nice to hear from you guys! Yes, we need to cook dogs. :lol:
"The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens." - Anaxagoras
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mrgizmo65
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Re: Accidental M31

Unread post by mrgizmo65 »

Boy Mike, I have to tell you you are the only guy I know of that can come up with "accidental beauties", nice shot even if it was a mistake, er was it??? In any event, nice work. :shock: :shock: :shock:
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