NGC 5247

Combination of 3, 3 minute exposures, SBIG ST-4 CCD.
300mm f/6 newtonian at prime focus.

This image was one of the first I tried with a CCD. Although the image is poor in comparison to the other images, I can still remember being ecstatic on seeing the results! It just goes to show how much CCD technology improved in the few years between the manufacture of the different CCDs!!! (The dark patches on the right are frosting on the CCD chip.)

NGC 5247 is a large and bright spiral galaxy in Virgo. It is easily visible in an 8" telescope. Some hint of the spiral arms can be made out with a 12" telescope.

Combination of 6, 3 minute exposures, Meade 416XTE CCD.
300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

A single 3 minutes image, SBIG STL-1001E CCD.
300mm f/6 newtonian at prime focus.

For some reason this galaxy has always been a Jonah for me. It seems like each time I try to image it, something happens. The above image is a typical example. It was meant to be the start of a one hour imaging session. However during the first image, clouds rolled in and that was the end of the night! :-( One day I will get a full set of images including colour!!!!!

Combination of 10, 3 minute images unfiltered.
LN2 cooled 2k x 2k CCD. 30" f/3.0 cassegrain telescope at prime focus.