Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 - CVn) - Going for a spin with the C8 EHD
In spite of hardly any clear sky, I did manage to get some 9 hours of data together on M51, some of it during full moon. I was still looking to get extra data in, but the forecast is just to bleak.
With the full focal length of the C8 (no reducer, no BIN, no crop), I’m getting as close as I can to this galaxy, allowing to pick up the finer detail in its spiral arms. Straight UVIR capture with the ASI2600MC, no extra Ha added, but those Ha regions are standing out nicely in the image. The dark structures in the spiral arms, leading right up to the core, seem to have come out nicely as well
Maybe I’ll get the chance to add data in the future, but for now … I’m happy with this result
The
Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as
Messier 51a (
M51a) or
NGC 5194, is an
interactinggrand-designspiral galaxy with a
Seyfert 2active galactic nucleus. It lies in the
constellationCanes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. It is about 31 million
light-years (9.5
Mpc) away from Earth and 76,900 ly (23,580 pc) in diameter.
The galaxy and its companion,
NGC 5195, are easily observed by
amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with
binoculars.
M51
C8, UVIR, ASI2600MC, EQ6-R Pro
Photons: 184x 180s = 9h12
20230327-0402-0403-0404
PixInsight
Happy to hear your thoughts
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