M82 - peculiar galaxy
This galaxy is in the constellation of Ursa Major at a distance of about 7 million light years. It has a peculiar shape because it seems to have exploded. Here is the original of my first photo attempt, 23 images combined by GRIP. This is the natural colour - no filters were used and the colour balance has not been altered. Remarkably this was shot through thin cloud, so I should easily be able to do better!
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 2380mm 46 x 10s f/9.4 ISO12800 2009-8-21 21:18:11-21:23:30 UT
From Whitley Bay 55.1
Next is an enhanced version of the above. I have used unsharp masking and the the red component (a prominent feature of light pollution) has been reduced):
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 2380mm 46 x 10s f/9.4 ISO12800 2009-8-21 21:18:11-21:23:30 UT
Here is an enhanced version of a later photo, taken when the galaxy was near my local zenith:
Canon EOS5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @ 2380mm 41 x 10s f/9.4 ISO6400 2010-3-4 19:53:23-20:03:36 UT
From Whitley Bay 55.1