The Whirlpool Galaxy - Messier object 51
The Whirlpool is probably the most well known galaxy in the sky. Light from this galaxy pair traveled 37 million years to reach the camera. Note the trail of stars that M51 has gravitationally stripped from it's smaller neighbor galaxy (NGC 5195) during their encounter.
Messier 51 May 19 &
20, 2008,
23:35 - 01:16 hrs
Meade 14” LX200GPS @ f/3.3, Meade DSI III Pro, 55°F air temp.
17 X 120 sec L, RGB binned 2 X 2, 10 X 60 sec R, 13 X 60 sec G, 18 X 60 sec B -
all with integrated dark frames.
80mm Orion f/11.3 guidescope with Meade DSI II Color – 2 sec
exposures/corrections
Stacked in Registax, processed in PhotoShop
Wishing Star Observatory hgp
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