How to photograph the Silver Sliver Galaxy (NGC 891)
An edge-on spiral with a sharp dark dust lane, high in autumn skies.
Photo byHewholooks(CC BY-SA 3.0)
When to shoot it from your location
About the Silver Sliver Galaxy
NGC 891 looks a lot like our own galaxy would seen from the side. It is a good fall alternative to the Needle Galaxy.
Gear and framing
The Silver Sliver Galaxy spans about 13′ of sky. It frames best with:
- Long focal length (800mm and up)
You can see how other people have built their rigs on RigDesigner, including my Sony a6700 and 60mm refractor rig.
Filters
This is a broadband target, which means its light is mostly starlight across the whole spectrum. Shoot it with no filter or a UV/IR cut filter. A broadband light pollution filter can help a little in the suburbs. Dual-band and narrowband filters block most of its light, so leave them off. Plan it for a moonless night at a dark site.
Tips
- Rotate the camera so the galaxy runs along the long side of the frame.
Processing
Stack your light frames with darks and flats, then remove the background gradient before stretching. AstroBake does all of this for you. Point it at your folders of raw frames, then adjust the result with live sliders.