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| Description: | This galaxy is so-named due to the dust cloud
near its core, making the galaxy appear as an eye with a shiner. At a
distance of 13.5 million light years, the expansive black cloud is around
40,000 light years in diameter, contrasting with the otherwise smooth spiral
structure. |
| Exposure Data: | 5/8,9/2003. LRGB: 18x10m, 6x10m, 6x10m, 6x10m. RGB binned 2x2.
-10°C, 0.49 arc-sec./pixel. |
| Processing: | Acquired via Sequencer in Maxim, reduced and
aligned in Mira. double size, Sigma Reject combine, gradient removal and RGB combine in Maxim. Lum
2 iterations of CCDSharp. LRGB assembly and other adjustments in Photoshop. |
| Optical System: | 12.5” Ritchey-Chretien @ F/9, ST-10XME NABG/CFW-8A
CCD camera, Paramount ME. Luminance AO7 guided, RGB autoguided. |
| Comments: | Luminance frame measured 2.5 arc-sec. before
deconvolution and 1.9 arc-sec. after. |