Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  HD117815  ·  HD118019  ·  IC 4263  ·  IC 4277  ·  IC 4278  ·  M 51  ·  NGC 5169  ·  NGC 5173  ·  NGC 5194  ·  NGC 5195  ·  NGC 5198  ·  Whirlpool galaxy
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Messier 51 - the Whirlpool galaxy - revisited, Simon
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Messier 51 - the Whirlpool galaxy - revisited

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Messier 51 - the Whirlpool galaxy - revisited, Simon
Powered byPixInsight

Messier 51 - the Whirlpool galaxy - revisited

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Description

I decided to try and take this object again, using my modified DSLR and 8" reflector. I managed to get 46 subs at 5 minutes long each. There was some improvement in detail, compared to the previous image which had less subs and length of exposure. Initially I tried processing the 46, but found that I was not able to draw out the additional detail very easily for some reason. I may try to process this again.

So what I did was combine the two nights together and thus had 80 subs in total, which seemed to show a little more detail, although not as much as I hoped for [compared to the 46 subs version] - oddly enough! So, what we have here are 34 subs at 4 minutes long each, and 46 subs at 5 minutes long each - combined - thus the 80. Just over 6 hours integration time...

I am pleased to have been able to pick up the 2 tiny unknown galaxies around the main object - I have never done this before - and also some of the almost undiscernible faint matter just above the main galaxy itself. I did my best, with my skies!

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Messier 51 - the Whirlpool galaxy - revisited, Simon