Astrophotography by Keith B. Quattrocchi                  

              NGC 5921                  
Barred Spiral Galaxy Serpens Caput
L-LRGB Image

Published in "Astronomy" Gallery, October 1, 2009 

Copyright 2009
Keith B Quattrocchi

                
Image Acquisition Information                             

Telescope: 16" RCOS Richey Chretien Telescope (ion milled at 6/9) 
Camera: SBIG STL-6303 M
Guiding: SBIG AOL, Astrodon  MOAG AOG (SBIG 237 with FLR)
Filters:  Astrodon Ha, SII, OIII
Mount:  Software Bisque Paramount ME
Acquisition Programs:  The Sky,CCDAutopliot III, CCD Soft. 
Processing Programs: CCDStack, Maxim DL, Photoshop
Date: June 7-June 13, 2008                              
 Time: 12x20 min ( 4 hours) each for each of L, R, G, B:
Total of 16 hours imaging time.                              
Processing:  CCD Stack and PhotoShop CS/3
 
Image Infornmation:  NGC 5921 is a barred spiral galaxy in serpens caput, approximately 65 million light years distant.  It is relatively small, measuring 4.8 x 4 arc-minutes in size and has a magnitude of 11.5.  The barred nucleus and it's multiple spiral arms can be clearly seen. 
​
Additional Comments:  Image processing with CCDStack, producing an LRGB image.  The LRGB and separate Luminance images were combined in Photoshop CS/3 (twice, first using soft light option then with the overlay option).  Further data stretching, high pass filtering and background smoothing (Kodac Gem) performed with Adobe Photoshop CS/3.