M51 ultra wide field and cropped version

[Paramount]

Hi all
Finally managed to get a clear night after over a month of bad weather and work. This is my first outing using the matched field flattener for my TMB so the widefield image has not been cropped. There was bad light pollution and plenty of sky glow where I lived so I have used Gradient Xterminator to try and get rid of the gradient that plagued most of the image. Only a slight levels adjustment was used, no curves. One iteration of local contrast enhancement using Noels tools was used as well. The image is made up of 60x2 minutes unguided. No filters were used as I am waiting delivery of adapters to connect my filter wheel into this set up.
Higher quality images are available on my website www.imagingtheheavens.co.uk
Thanks for looking
Kind regards and clear night to all
Gordon

[budguinn]

Hi Gordon,

Looks good.....nice from corner to corner....was this the H36?....hows' the pups?

[Paramount]

Hi Bud
Thanks for the comments, this was the H36 camera and I was using it with the matching field flattener from TMB, this seems to have sorted out the vignetting I was getting as there is a much wider light throughput, my next project is to put the filter wheel in the imaging train and I have some adapters on the way from Precise Parts so that I can do that.
Thanks for asking about the boys, unfortunatley we have had some very upsetting news about Blue (my favourite), he had been his normal self up until a month ago when he started limping badly, this was not an uncommon occurance as it had happened before when he had been playing with his brother and overdid things and short lead walks for a few days resolved things. However this time his limping was getting worse so we took him to the vet who did x rays of both his front legs and they showed nothing but when the vet was examining his leg and pressed in a certain spot he whinced with pain. We have had test results back and it turns out that poor old Blue has got cancer of the bone in his right front leg. He is on some pain killers which take the edge of the pain and he doesn't run any more as after trying to run he realises it is hurting and slows to a walk. We have also noticed that he is becoming breathless and panting more after short periods of exertion and the vet thinks that there is a possibility that something may have spread to his lungs but we don't know for certain. We took him back for a follow up check a couple of days ago and even the vet nocticed that his walking was more laboured. He doesn't appear to be in any pain apart from his leg being sore when he exerts himself, he is still happy to see us when we come home from work and is still keen to go out for his walks and is eating ok, but as the vet said it is basically a matter of time before we have to make the upsetting decision of saying goodbye to my best mate, rset assured we won't allow him to suffer but as I said at the moment he is still enjoying life, but I suspect he may not have much more time with us.
Kind regards
Gordon