M49 - Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo Cluster with SHO Narrowband Imaging

M49 - Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo Cluster with SHO Narrowband Imaging

Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 at 12:52:38 PM · 2026/Astrophotography

This deep-sky astrophotography image showcases M49 (NGC 4472), one of the brightest elliptical galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. The galaxy appears as a smooth, luminous elliptical glow at the center of the frame, surrounded by a star field dotted with other distant galaxies. Captured using a combination of narrowband filters (SII, Ha, OIII) and broadband LRGB data through a TMB-92 APO refractor, this 4-hour integration reveals the galaxy's characteristic featureless structure typical of elliptical galaxies. The image was processed using Python with Syqon Starless AI for advanced star removal and layer processing in the SHO palette.

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