Messier Double Play: M3 and M63

Behind the shot

A deep-field capture targeting the relatively empty celestial region south of the main Canes Venatici asterism, nearing the borders of Bootes and Coma Berenices. This frame successfully isolates the globular cluster Messier 3 (M3) as a brilliant, condensed point of light. In the upper section of the frame, the Sunflower Galaxy (M63 / NGC 5055) is resolved as a subtle, non-stellar smudge.

Observation

Date: 08 Apr 2026
Time: 21:39 - 22:15 CEST
Site: Porto San Giorgio, Marche, Italy
Bortle: Class 6

Bortle Class 6

Bright Suburban Sky
Azimuth: +86° 17' 55.3"
Altitude: +39° 16' 03.7"

Atmospherics

Visibility: Good
Weather: Dry air, stable atmosphere
Moon: 62% Waning Gibbous - Below horizon

Acquisition

Camera: Panasonic Lumix G7
Lens: LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6
Mount: Static Tripod (Untracked)
Integration: 60 x 5s

Optics

Focal Length: 42mm
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO: ISO 3200

Post-Processing

Software: SiriL + darktable
Pre-Processing: Master-frame subtraction, FWHM star filtering selection, RBF Background gradient extraction.
Post-Processing: Wavelet-based profiled denoise, Local Laplacian contrast, star temperature balancing, black level fine-tuning for deep space texture.