Michael Purcell's Astrophotography

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Abell 2065 Galaxy Cluster

(Click on the picture above to go to the main image.)

Abell 2065 is a cluster of galaxies at an approximate distance of 1,500,000,000 LY. To make the cluster easier to see I have blackened out all the objects I know to be stars. Therefore, as best as I can determine, every object in this image is a galaxy!

The "brightest" galaxies, in the lower center section, are magnitude 15.5; the rest are magnitude 16 and fainter.

I used three mechanisms to identify stars:

I cannot guarantee that I have eliminated every star from the image. Even in the Sky Survey photograph it was difficult to determine whether the faintest objects were stars or galaxies. However, the vast majority of the "faint fuzzies" in this image are really galaxies. Not bad for a 15 minute picture on a 10 inch scope!

I took this picture in New Mexico.

CCD Camera Parameters

ST-7 Compressed Image
File_version = 3
Data_version = 1
Exposure = 15 minutes
Focal_length = 63.000
Aperture = 65.9000
Response_factor = 2000.000
Note = Image taken 04/15/96 at 02:47:07
Background = 232
Range = 88
Height = 510
Width = 765
Date = 04/15/96
Time = 02:47:07
Exposure_state = 100
Temperature = -19.98 C
Number_exposures = 1
Each_exposure = 15 minutes
History = dFEK
Observer = Michael Purcell
X_pixel_size = 0.0090
Y_pixel_size = 0.0090
Pedestal = 0
E_gain = 2.30
User_1 = CCDOPS for DOS Version 3.50B4
Filter = Clear
Readout_mode = 0
Track_time = 900
Sat_level = 16383

This page last updated on August 25, 1996 Contact Michael Purcell