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False Colour Image Galleries
This page shows a selection of false colour images which provide additional information or detail to original monochrome image. I normally use fv for creating false colour image displays. fv is FITS file viewer and editor developed at the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) at NASA/ GSFC.
fv provides a number of useful built in colour bars:
Image Gallery (Inverse Spectrum) | Galaxies | Globular Clusters | Comets | Nebula | Moon | Image Gallery (Hot) | Nebula | Other Objects | Image Gallery (Cold) | Comets | Planetary Nebula | Image Gallery (Blkbdy) - Various Objects Image Gallery (Other Colour Bars) | Galaxies | Nebulae/Nebulosity | Image Gallery (Detailed False Colour Images)
Examples of a variety of false colour images are shown within
the sections below .
Many are set side by
side with a conventional monochromatic image display.
Inverse Spectrum is one of my favourite false colour displays, often used with either Square Root or Log brightness scaling.
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M51 (Canes Venatici) |
M51 - false colour |
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CCD Image 3 x 2 min (average combine), clear filter 2006-01-02 02:12h UT (#108135-37) |
False Colour CCD Image Log brightness scaling, (image details as left) |
M58 (Virgo) |
M58 - false colour |
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CCD Image 3 x 180 sec exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter, linear brightness scaling 2007-05-19 23:43h UT (#198299-301) |
False Colour CCD Image Log brightness scaling, False Colour (Inverse Spectrum) (image details as left) |
M66 (Leo) |
M66 - false colour |
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CCD Image 5 x 2 min (average combine), C Filter 2004-12-11 05:42 h UT (#79010-14) |
Enhanced False Colour Display (Logarithmic Scaling, Range 460-3300 ADU, Inverse Spectrum) (image details as left) |
M74 (Pisces) |
M74 - false colour |
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CCD Image 4 x 3 min exposure (summed), 2x2 binning , C Filter Linear Scale 2006-09-03 00:52 h UT (#137096-99) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling (image details as left) |
M90 (Virgo) |
M90 - false colour |
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CCD Image 3 x 180 sec exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter, linear brightness scaling 2007-05-20 00:05h UT (#198310-15) |
CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, False Colour (Inverse Spectrum) (image details as left) |
M94 (Canes Venatici) |
M94 - False Colour |
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CCD Image 3 x 180s, 2x2 binning, C Filter Square Root brightness scaling 2007-04-27 21:59 hUT (#192103-05) |
False Colour CCD Image Image Details as left Square root brightness scaling, False Colour (inverse spectrum) |
M98 (Coma Berenices) |
M98 - false colour |
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CCD Image 7 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-03-13 00:25h UT (#182297-303) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, False Colour (inverse spectrum) Image details as above |
M99 (Coma Berenices) |
M99 - false colour |
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CCD Image (linear scale, cropped) 4 x 1 min exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter 2009-11-27 06:02 h UT (#400217-21) 12" LX200R (at f/5.7) + ST-10XME |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, Inverse spectrum colour scale Image details as above |
M100 (Ursa Major) with SN 2006x |
M100 - false colour |
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Annotated CCD Image 5 x 2 min exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-02-20 23:17h UT (#115064-68) |
CCD Image - false colour, log brightness scaling 5 x 2 min exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-02-20 23:17h UT (#115064-68) |
M109 (Ursa Major) |
M109 - false colour |
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CCD Image 6 x 2 min (average combine), clear filter 2006-01-02 01:12h UT (#108113-18) |
CCD Image (false colour, log brightness scaling) CCD image as left |
NGC 3344 (Leo Minor) |
NGC 3344 - false colour |
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CCD Image 7 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-02-18 00:01h UT (#176211-17) |
CCD Image Log brightness scaling, Inverse Spectrum (details as left) |
NGC 3184 (Ursa Major) |
NGC 3184 - false colour |
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CCD Image (75% scale, cropped) 6 x 120 sec exposure (average combine), 3x3 binning, C Filter 2012-03-05 21:56 h UT (#545094-99) 12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME |
CCD Image Linear scaling, Inverse Spectrum (details as left) |
NGC 3521 (Leo) |
NGC 3521 - false colour |
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CCD Image 7 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-02-18 00:25h UT (#176221-27) |
CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, Inverse Spectrum (details as left) |
NGC 3953 (Ursa Major) with SN 2006bp |
NGC 3953 - false colour |
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Annotated CCD Image 5 x 60s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-05-25 00:32 hUT (#127112-16) |
False Colour CCD Image Log Scale, False Colour (inverse spectrum) (details as left) |
NGC 4030 with SN 2007aa (Virgo) |
NGC 4030 - False colour |
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CCD Image 5 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-03-12 23:13h UT (#182260-64) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, False Colour (inverse spectrum) Image details as left |
NGC 4559 / Caldwell 36 (Coma Berenices) |
NGC 4559- false colour |
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CCD Image 5 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-03-03 23:46h UT (#180385-89) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling Image details as left |
NGC 4490 / NGC 4485 (Canes Venatici) |
NGC 4490 / NGC 4485 - detail |
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CCD Image 5 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-12-20 06:30h UT (#167511-15) |
False Colour CCD Image Square root brightness scaling Image details as left |
NGC 5005 / Caldwell 29 (Canes Venatici) |
NGC 5005 - false colour |
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CCD Image 3 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2007-03-03 23:23h UT (#180377-79) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, False Colour (inverse spectrum) Image details as left |
NGC 7606 / Herschel I-104 (Aquarius) |
NGC 7606 - false colour |
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CCD Image 5 x 120s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C filter, 2008-10-04 23:20h UT (#310214-18) |
False Colour CCD Image Square Root brightness scaling, False Colour (inverse spectrum) Image details as left |
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M3 (Canes Venatici) |
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CCD Image (75% size) 120s exposure, 2x2 binning, C filter, Square Root brightness scaling, Gamma Correction 2007-04-05 01:34 hUT (#189236) |
M3 - false colour |
False Colour CCD Image (75% size) |
M53 (Coma Berenices) |
M53 - false colour |
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CCD Image, linear brightness scaling 3 x 60 sec exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2007-05-19 22:12h UT (#198165-67) |
False Colour CCD Image Square root brightness scaling, False Colour (Inverse Spectrum) (image details as left) |
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Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) |
Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) |
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CCD Image 5 x 60s exposure (average combine, aligned on comet), 2x2 binning, C filter Linear scale with range adjusted to show detail in tail 2006-10-28 20:23h UT (#150012-16) |
False colour CCD Image Log Scale (image details as left) |
Comet 73/P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B |
Comet 73/P Schwassmann-Wachmann 3-B |
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CCD Image (50% size) 15 x 30s, 1x1 binning, C Filter Aligned on comet nucleus & stacked 2006-05-12 23:08h UT (#126058-72) |
False colour CCD Image Log Scale (image details as left) |
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M1 (Taurus) |
M1 - false colour |
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CCD Image (200% size) 6 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter, Linear brightness scaling 2007-09-11 01:05 hUT (#211121-26) |
False Colour CCD Image Square root brightness scaling, False Colour (Inverse Spectrum) (image details as left) |
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Moon (94% phase) | Moon (94% phase) - False Colour | |
B&W CCD Image Mosaic (3 x 4) 0.11 sec exposure, B Filter 1x1 Binning/Resized 2006-01-11 23:06h UT (#110119-32) [ Full Size ] |
False Colour CCD Image Mosaic (3 x 4) Image details as left [ Full Size ] |
East region of the Moon in False Colour |
CCD Image (false colour) -
Linear Scale (inverse spectrum) 0.11 sec exposure, V Filter, 1x1 Binning. Unsharp Masked 2006-01-11 23:23h UT (#110157) |
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Hot is another colour bar that I frequently used, often with either linear or Square Root brightness scaling.
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M42 (Orion) |
M42 - detail |
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CCD Image Logarithmic Scaling (190-60000 ADU) 9 x 15 sec exposure (medium combine), C Filter 2005-01-05 23:36 h UT (#82110-18) |
False Colour CCD Image Logarithmic Scaling (Image as left) |
NGC 1491 (Perseus) |
NGC 1491 - detail |
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CCD Image 3 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-12-15 23:46h UT (#163226-28) |
False CCD Image Square root brightness scaling Image Details as left |
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NGC 4490 / NGC 4485 (Canes Venatici) |
NGC 4490 / NGC 4485 - detail (false colour) |
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CCD Image 5 x 180s exposure (average combine), 2x2 binning, C Filter 2006-12-20 06:30h UT (#167511-15) |
False Colour CCD Image (150% size) Square root brightness scaling, rotated. Image details as left |
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Cold is a colour bar that I occasionally use, most often for comets, used either linear or Square Root brightness scaling.
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Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) |
Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) - false colour |
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CCD Image 5 x 60s exposure (average combine, aligned on comet), 2x2 binning, C filter, Linear scale 2006-12-06 17:42h UT (#159035-39) |
False Colour CCD Image Log brightness scaling (3000 ADU range) (details as left) |
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Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) |
Comet C/2006 M4 (Swan) - false colour |
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CCD Image 2 x 60s exposure, 2x2 binning (average combine), C Filter 2006-09-30 19:19h UT (#144015-16) |
False Colour CCD Image Log brightness scaling (3000 ADU range) (details as left) |
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NGC 2371 (Gemini) [ Herschel H316-2 ] |
NGC 2371 - false colour |
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CCD Image (cropped, linear scale) 4 x 60s (average combine), 2x2 binning, V Filter 2010-02-20 21:59 h UT (#414277-81) 12" LX200R (at f/9.7) + ST-10XME |
False Colour
CCD Image (cropped, log scale) Image details as left) |
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Blkbdy is a colour bar that I occasionally use.
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M1 (Taurus) |
M1 (Taurus) - false colour |
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CCD Image (50% size) 14 x 60 sec exposure (average), C filter 2005-10-09 04:43 h UT (#99235-48 {S98} ) (Full Size) |
False Colour CCD Image Linear Scale, blkbdy color table Details as left (Full Size) |
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Other Colour Bars are occasionally used for making false colour images
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M74 (Pisces) |
M74 (false colour) |
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CCD Image 6x60s exposure (average combine), C Filter 2005-09-02 22:51 h UT (#93055-60) |
CCD Image False Colour 3x60s exposure (average combine), C Filter Logarithmic Scaling, False Colour 2005-09-03 00:40 h UT (#93152-54) |
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IC 348 (Perseus) |
IC 348 (false colour) |
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CCD Image (50% size) 14 x 60 sec exposure (average), C filter 2005-10-09 04:43 h UT (#99235-48 {S98} ) (Full Size) |
False Colour CCD Image Logarithmic Scaling (details as left) |
M76 (Perseus) |
M76 (False-Colour Display) |
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CCD Image, 7 x 60 sec exposure (average combine) Clear Filter 2004-08-22 23:15 h UT (#68129+) |
False Colour CCD Image (Logarithmic Scaling, Spectrum Colour Scale) 7 x 60 sec exposure (average combine) Clear Filter 2004-08-22 23:15 h UT (#68129+) |
IC 434 - Horsehead Nebula (Orion) |
IC 434 - Horsehead Nebula - false colour |
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CCD Image 19 x 1 min exposure (average combine), C Filter, rotated 2005-01-05 23:06h UT (#82085-105) |
False Colour CCD Image 19 x 1 min exposure (average combine), C Filter, rotated 2005-01-05 23:06h UT (#82085-105) |
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This section contains images that use false colour
to help highlight specific detail. |
M87 (Virgo) |
M87 (false colour image) |
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CCD Image, 5 x 60 sec exposure
(summed) 2004-03-29 00:14 h UT (#64163-67) |
CCD Image (details as above) Log Scale, False Colour |
M87 - jet (Inverse Spectrum)
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CCD Image (details as above) Unsharp Masked, Log Scale, False Colour |
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M87 - jet (Cold Colour Bar) |
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CCD Image (details as above) Unsharp Masked, Log Scale, False Colour |
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This Web Page: | False Colour Images |
Last Updated : | 2015-05-16 |
Site Owner : | David Richards |
Home Page : | David's Astronomy Web Site |