Messier 63, or the Sunflower Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici, having a visual magnitude of 8.52. It is a nearby spiral galaxy known for its sunflower-like appearance and active galactic nucleus, making it a popular target for amateur astronomers and astrophotographer.
Messier 63 is about 30 million light years away from us and is about 100,000 light years across, making it a little smaller than our own Milky Way galaxy.
Sample Download Available
I have made available the raw and processed data for Messier 63, so you can experiment with the dataset and try to develop the image yourself. You can process the FITS data using Siril, DSS, PixInsight, or any software that supports calibration with dark files.
The following files are available for download:
- Lights – over 450 10-second FITS exposures
- Darks – dark calibration files for use with the FITS to achieve better results
- Data-reduced FITS file – I stacked the 450 frames and calibrated them with the darks to create this linear FITS file that’s ready for further processing
- Processed FITS file – a fully-developed, non-linear FITS file
- Processed PNG file – the PNG version of the developed FITS file
The size of the archive is 4.2 Gb, so be patient when downloading and working with the files.
Downloading the Observation
The ZIP archive is 4.2 Gb, so I hosted it on my DropBox. Click the link below to download the ZIP file:
Once you click the link, select the option to download the file in the screen that comes up.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the comprehensive dataset for Messier 63, the Sunflower Galaxy, offers a unique opportunity to delve into astrophotography. With over 450 FITS exposures and various calibration and processed files, you have the resources to explore and refine your image processing skills.
You must be logged in to post a comment.