The Golden Eye
M95 in Leo

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Far beyond the stars of Leo, past the arms of our own spiral galaxy lies the immense eye of M95. It stares back at earth with a unflinching gaze of gold that I have found intriguing. Like many would-be explorers searching for treasure both real and imagined, I recently set off to take a portrait of this subject eye-to-eye. Inconsistent weather in San Jose and the glare of the moon forced me to experiment thus producing an image that is 75% Mewlon 300 and 25% RC. Actually, it was a golden opportunity that was worthy of an investment. So, if you have a moment to spend, please take a look at my ROI.

Composite image
300 minutes luminance (1X1)
75 minutes (each) Red, Green, Blue (2X2)

Takahashi Mewlon 300 (f/9), SBIG ST-10XME, CFW8a and AO-7
RCOS 20-inch (f/8), SBIG STL-11000XM