leo triplet

the leo triplet is a group of 3 galaxies popular with amateur astronomers as all 3 can be seen in the same telescopic field: M 65, M 66, and NGC 3628.  

they're also all quite photogenic (click on images for larger size):

Leo Triplet 2/2018

Closer view composited with close up images from years past:

Leo Triplet 2/2018 etc

the tragedy of the leo triplet is that the image scale required to fit all 3 doesn't do justice to these great galaxies. so here's the "leo double", the closest pair of the group:

M 65 and M 66

Bonus features:  
Asteroid 600 Musa wandering through the field:

asteroid 600 Musa near NGC 3628 

To my surprise, though i was unable to bring it out in processing, i see a hint of NGC 3628's tidal tail in an aggressive stretch from my bortle white skies, the unusually good transparency must have helped:

hint of the tidal tail of NGC 3628: stars streaming to the right

I combined the data from a  2018 wide field capture with my prior close up views from years ago:

M 66 HaRGB 2010

M 65 2009

NGC 3628 2007

just for fun here's my 2005 image:

Image details:
wide field
FS102, SX Trius 694 FL 627.3 mm, 1.49"/Pixel unbinned
astrodon RGB E-series filters
ASA DDM60
2/19-3/18/2018
L 457 x 1 minute
R 20 x 3 min, G 8 x 3 min, B 17 x 3 min
transparency and seeing unusually good for the luminance, much worse for color, so color was not incorporated into the luminance image.
bortle white skies
eastbluff, CA

M 65
LX200R 8" @f/10, SX AO, IDAS-LPS/CS 10 nm Ha filters; H9, H9C
L 46x10 min, RGB 22x20 min
4/18-4/29/09, Bortle white skies, los alamitos, CA

M 66
8" LX200R, IDAS LPR/Astrodon 5nm Ha filter, SX AO, SX H9/H9C
lum 92x300 sec, color 14x1200 sec, Ha 29x1200 sec (something to do with the moon out).
los alamitos, CA 3/16-24/2010, bortle white skies, excellent transparency for the area (southern CA at sea level) for luminance.

NGC 3628
4/12-17/07
los alamitos, CA
N8 GPS, F/6.3 FR @~1280mm, SX AO @~4Hz, IDAS LPR, H9C
45x20 minutes

Older triple:
4/5-12/2005
N8 GPS, canon digital rebel
the joy of amp glow
learning calibration, processing, gradient removal with images plus