Michael A. Stecker
mastecker@gmail.com

 


 
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Markarian's Chain in Virgo Galaxy Cluster
Markarian's Chain is a stretch of galaxies that forms part of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies about 50 million light-years from Earth. Member galaxies include M84, M86, NGC 4477, NGC 4473, NGC 4461, NGC 4458, NGC 4438 and NGC 4435. Just right of center is blue armed galaxy NGC 4438 which is being distorted by interacting lenticular galaxy NGC 4435. This is a joint project of James Foster and me using my Askar 103 APO 4-inch triplet refractor at f/5.5 and full frame ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro color astro-camera. The image was cropped.
file: VirgoClusterAskar103_130minEXPlastJRF-1cr1b.jpg
Same photo but with stars rounded
VirgoClusterAskar103_130minEXPlastJRF-1cr1bx1

Photographic Data
 telescope:
Askar 103 APO triplet refractor with 0.8X focal reducer
Aperture: 103 mm (4-inch)
Focal ratio: f/5.5
Focal Length: 560 mm
cropped image
 
mount:
iOptron CEM60

 imaging camera:
ZWO ASI6200MC Pro color astro-camera
cropped image
exposure:
300 sec X 26 (130 minutes)
guiding:
off-axis
 
processing software:
Maxim-DL and Photoshop Elements 2021
 .
photographic site:
Pinion Pines Estates (Frazier Park California)
(Bortle 4 at 5,500 ft elevation)
 
 
 

Crop centered on blue-armed distorted galaxy NGC 4438
 file: VirgoClusterAskar103_130minEXPlastJRF-1cr3b-crN1.jpg