Observation Log - May 15, 2000 - Tinton Falls, NJ

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NGC5985/82/81, a group of three galaxies in Draco. On the left is NGC5985, magnitude 11.1, 5'.8 x 3'.1, a spiral galaxy. In the center is an elliptical galaxy, NGC5982, magnitude 11.1, 3'.9 x 2'.1. On the right is NGC5981, an edge-on spiral, magnitude 13.0, 2'.8 x 0'.3. The center galaxy, NGC5982, contains the 19th magnitude quasar 1537 +595, a BL Lac object. This photograph is a mosaic made from two composite images. The left side and the right side were each done with 31 1-minute exposures. All images were corrected with dark frames and flats, then the two sides were composited separately. Then the image was processed with a kernel filter (median) and finished with a contrast stretch. Images were taken between 02:51 a.m. and 04:43 a.m. the morning of the 15th. Images were all taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. [NOTE: Here is another version of this group which contains 27 minutes of additional exposure taken on May 15/16.]

NGC5676, a spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, magnitude 10.9, dim 3'.9. This is a composite image combining 49 images totaling 52 minutes of integration from 12:02 to 01:18 a.m., the morning of May 15th. Images were all taken using the f/6.3 focal reducer, for an effective f/ratio of f/4. Images were processed with dark frame removal, flat frame, then compositing, flatten background, unsharp mask (FFT, low-pass, mild) and finally a contrast stretch.