NGC 4038 4039, the antennae galaxies - 150 minutes
click image for 50% full size

 

The very elusive antennae associated with stongly interacting galaxies ngc 4038 and 4039 located in the constellation Corvus.
The antennae are actually streams of stars that have been released from the galaxies as a result of the collision that happened some 600 million years ago.

Imaged April 19th, 2009 with the 12 inch Meade Classic at f6.8. 15 ten-minute subs acquired, calibrated, and stacked in
Nebulosity 2.1.1, final color and sharpening in Photoshop CS3. A full size image is included for the "pixel peekers".

guided through the Vixen ED80 (synta) , DSI pro I, and PHD via Shoestring GPUSB adapter

enjoy