NGC6946: This is a very dim, 10th magnitude galaxy in Cepheus toward Cygnus, approximately ten million light years from Earth. Looking from the bright core outward along the spiral arms, the galaxy's colors show a change from the yellowish light of old stars in the galaxy's center to young blue star clusters and reddish star forming regions. NGC 6946 is also bright in infrared light and rich in gas and dust, exhibiting a high star birth and death rate. During the 20th century, at least six supernovae, the death explosions of massive stars, were discovered in NGC 6946. A small barred structure is just visible at the galaxy's core.

Technical Information:

LRGB: 136:48:48:80 (All comprised of 8 minute images). L images unbinned; R, G and B binned 2x2.

Equipment: 10" LX200 at f/4.6, and an SBIG ST-7E camera/CFW-8 color filter wheel

Image Acquisition/Camera Control: CCDSoft V5.

Processing: All images calibrated (darks and dawn flats) and registered in AIP4WIN. Images average combined in CCDSoft. Five iterations of Richardson-Lucy (high frequency only) applied in AIP4WIN. Color combine, many careful adjustment of curves and levels, and repair of bloomed stars performed in Photoshop 6.0. Special thanks to my son, David, for some personalized PhotoShop instruction.

Location: My yard in Redmond, Washington, elevation 500'.

Date: Luminance images taken during the night of 8/13/02; RGB images taken during the night of 8/14/02.

CCD Temperature: -15C

Moon Phase: Days 5 and 6; waxing crescent: -15C