Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)  ·  Contains:  M 101  ·  NGC 5455  ·  NGC 5457  ·  NGC 5461  ·  NGC 5471
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M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021, Brett Creider
M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021
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M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021, Brett Creider
M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021
Powered byPixInsight

M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021

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Description

Another Bortle 9, Dallas light pollution challenger approaches - M101 the Whirlpool Galaxy. A trillion stars, at least twice as many as our own Milky Way, and a short jump (galactically speaking) of 25 million light years from Earth.

This image is a combination of two imaging sessions...

The first being 53 x 120s sub exposures shot with a GSO RC6 purchased during lockdown 2020. It had an f/7 focal reducer with my trusty ZWO ASI294MC camera at the usual prescribed -10c / 200 gain settings and an Optolong L Pro filter.

The second session, last night, ended up with 45 x 120s sub exposures shot with a Celestron 9.25" SCT purchased originally for planets before I invested in Dallas DSO hunts some years ago. That scope has the ultimate setup for me, being an f/6.3 focal reducer, a Celestron off-axis guider, and a ZWO 174mm mini guide cam to match. It was also using the same ZWO ASI294MC as the RC6, but with a ZWO UV/IR cut filter.

One day I will need to move, or find a place to plant a remote observatory. It is fun to image from home, as challenging and convenient as it is, but there are thousands of targets I might never see if I can't get out of this city.

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M101 Pinwheel 2020+2021, Brett Creider