Deep Sky
M63 - Sunflower Galaxy
Image Story
The Sunflower Galaxy was one of the first galaxies I photographed with the Seestar that genuinely exceeded my expectations.
At first glance M63 appears fairly modest compared to famous targets like Andromeda or the Whirlpool Galaxy. The more data I collected, however, the more interesting it became. Subtle spiral structure began to emerge, revealing why it earned the nickname “Sunflower Galaxy”.
This project also taught me an important lesson about integration time. Early versions looked acceptable, but every additional hour seemed to reveal something new. Faint details that were completely invisible in the first stack slowly became part of the image.
M63 was one of the objects that convinced me that deep-sky astrophotography is often a game of patience rather than equipment. Sometimes the biggest improvement comes from simply collecting more photons.
Acquisition
| Filter | Exposure | Frames | Integration | Gain | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR Cut | 20s | 335 | 1h 51m 40s | 110 | ~15°C |
Processing Workflow
- 1 Calibrated with darks and flats.
- 2 Stacked 335 light frames with 2x drizzle.
- 3 Applied photometric colour calibration.
- 4 Cropped the stacked image.
- 5 Created starless and star mask versions.
- 6 Stretched and adjusted the galaxy and stars separately.
- 7 Final composition and colour adjustments.