NGC 300

NGC 300, the spiral galaxy in constellation Sculptor, distance is about 6 million light years.

 It's likely, that NGC300 and NGC55 forms a gravitationally bound pair.

I have shot NGC 55, an irregular galaxy, ealier and it can be found here:

http://astroanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/09/ngc-55-irregular-galaxy-in.html

Image of NGC 55

"NGC300 and NGC55 forms a gravitationally bound pair."

Surface brightness is lowish and this image gave me a hard time when processing the raw data. I tried to keep a "diffused" look of it. Active parts of this galaxy can be seen as a Blue and Red areas in a spiral arms.

A closeup

Technical details:

16" RCOS ja Apogee U9000 camera. 

LRGB combo. An Australian remote telescope

5x1200s for the Luminance and 2x600s / RGB-channel . Dark, Bias and Flat calibrated.

Raw data is shared by Petri Kehusmaa and J-P Metsavainio

Processing workflow:

Image acquisition, MaxiDL v4.xxx

Stacked and calibrated in CCDStack.

Deconvolution with a CCDSharp, 30 iterations, added at 50% weight.

Levels, curves and color combine in PS CS3.

Something extra in my image

A bright trail trough a single raw frame of NGC 300.

A closeup, there is odd looking pattern inside of trail.

Mystery was solved by a help from Bert Candusio, the administrator of Northern Galactic group.

Object seen in the image is a geocentric satellite COSMOS 1536.

Thank you Bert.