I needed to test guiding with exposures of 3 minutes or longer, so I used NGC 2903 since it was in a convenient location.  This size object needs more image scale to show it better, of course.   But, I kind of like the wide view that shows the galaxy and star field in context.

Btw, in this image, north is to the left.  Also, if you noticed, another small galaxy, NGC 2916, is also visible in this image.   It is below and slightly left of NGC 2903 in this view.

Here’s one I have not shot in a while.   I was hoping it would come out better, but unfortunately, I lost quite a few of the sub-images to bad guiding.  I was supposed to get 40 or more, but only 23 were good enough to use.

UPDATE:

I was able to shoot this again and get lots more sub-images.   Not too bad considering the light pollution that I had to endure.

Another Bortle Red Zone image with a relatively short exposure of 40 minutes in 1 minute subs.   I have another batch of 1 minute subs taken at ISO 800 to add to this, but here is the preliminary image for the time being.

Update:

The additional 40×60 sec @ ISO 800 subs-images are added into the mix and the updated full frame image and a close-in crop are above.   🙂

Just for fun, I added the above image with 2 previous images of M51 taken with bigger scopes and the results are below:

Data from a 3 panel mosaic taken with a Meade SN-8 telescope back in 2007 was combined with data taken with a Televue TV-85 from 2011.  I used Registar and was able to match the data to the base image, which was the 3-panel mosaic.

I like the way it came out and the orientation is in the classic style for M31.   Thinking about it further, it might be a good project for me to get even more data and add in everything together to get one deep image.    Hmmm…

I was playing around and noticed I had three different images of this area.  Two were taken with the same scope (a Televue TV-85,) but with two different cameras (a Canon 350XT and a Canon T3, both modified.)  One was with my Meade SN8 and the Canon 350XT.

With Registar, I was able to align and combine the three images.  I used two base images, one with the 350XT as the base and one with the T3 as the base.    So, Registar scaled the T3 image down to the resolution of the 350XT in the first image, but scaled the data up in the two older camera images for the second image.   I tend to like the larger scale second image more, but the scaled data is softer and not quite as sharp as the down scaled data.

The background in both is still a little noisy, but I think it is tame enough to post.  There were lots of faint background galaxies in the full frames, but the one in this view that matters is that smudge just above M81, which is the galaxy on the left.  That dim smudge is Holmberg IX, a dwarf satellite galaxy of M81.  It is considered a good test of your data, since it is so dim and can be easily swamped by noise and not be seen.

The data I used is from Feb 2007,  24×360 sec @ ISO 1600, SN-8, Canon 350XT,  Feb 2008, 41×180 sec @ ISO 1600, TV-85, Canon 350XT and Feb 2012, 39×240 sec @ ISO 1600, TV-85, Canon T3.  Total integration of  7.05 hours

Here is a makeover of M63 from data taken in 2007.   I boosted the color saturation and decreased the star brightness slightly.   Plus, I worked on the star-shapes to get them more round.   This was pretty decent data for ISO 800 and 35 subs.

Finally, I think I got the data blended for this image as best as possible with the least amount of artifacts.  Two images from a 6 inch Schmidt-Newt were combined with one of my more recent C-8 images of the galaxy.   I used Registar to scale and align each of the 3 images and then blended them in PS manually.