Whirlpool Galaxy (Cody)

Celestial hemisphere: Northern · Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn) · Contains: IC 4277 · IC 4278 · M 51 · NGC 5194 · NGC 5195 · Whirlpool Galaxy

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Whirlpool Galaxy

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Whirlpool Galaxy

My first galaxy capture of the year is one of my favorites, the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51! After more than 13 hours of exposures, the most time I’ve ever dedicated to this target, I’m thrilled with the details captured, especially the dust around these interacting galaxies. What an amazing sight!

Nestled about 23 million light-years away, M51’s light started its journey to us millions of years ago, showcasing the vastness of the universe in a span of about 76,000 light-years. The interaction with its smaller companion, NGC 5195, brings out its striking spiral structure, making it a classic example of galactic interaction and a hotbed for new star formation. This cosmic dance highlights not just the beauty of the universe but also its dynamic nature, as seen in the vibrant star-forming regions and the history of supernovae events it hosts.

Every time I look at this image, I’m reminded of the endless mysteries the universe holds, and I’m excited to share this slice of the cosmos with you. The Whirlpool Galaxy is not just a testament to the artistry of nature but also to the incredible journey of light across time and space.

Celestron C8 XLT
ASI2600MC Pro
ASIAIR Plus
ZWO AM5 Mount
Lights 216 x 180s & 300s
Antlia ALP-T Dual Narrowband Filter

Please note: The following tables are updated every 24 hours.

Distribution of astrophotographers

This table shows the number of distinct astrophotographers who have been assigned and IOTD/TP award compared to the total number of images awarded.
	Distinct awarded users	Total awarded images
Image of the day
Top picks
Top pick nominations

Distribution of subject types

This table shows the distribution of awards per subject type, compared to the popularity of images of that subject type.
	Image of the day	Top pick	Top pick nominations	Total submitted
Deep sky
Solar system
Extremely wide field
Star trails
Northern lights
Noctilucent clouds
Landscape

Distribution of data sources

This table shows the distribution of awards per data source, compared to the popularity of images acquired from that data source.
	Image of the day	Top pick	Top pick nominations	Total submitted
Backyard
Traveller
Own remote observatory
Amateur hosting facility
Public amaeteur data
Professional, scientific grade data
Mix of multiple sources
Other
Unknown

The “AstroBin Image of the Day and Top Picks”, or IOTD/TP, is a long-running system to promote beautiful, interesting, peculiar, or otherwise amazing astrophotographs, with a focus on technical excellence. Learn more.

Submitted The date and time when you submitted this image for IOTD/TP consideration.	...
Views by Submitters (available since September 19th, 2023) Every image is assigned to 50% of available Submitters. In the event that at least 80% of them don't view the image before its time in the IOTD/TP process expires, it's assigned to the other 50% of Submitters and the process begins anew.
Promotions by Submitters When 3 distinct Submitters promote the image, it moves on to the next stage of the process: evaluation for Top Pick status. This requirement, in addition to anonymization of images and distribution to only a subset of them, prevents biases and ensures that the best images are selected.
Promotions by Reviewers When 3 distinct Reviewers promote the image, it moves on to the next stage of the process: evaluation for IOTD status.
Early dismissal Staff members have a lot of images to inspect on a daily basis, and they can dismiss images if they believe they don't meet the requirements for IOTD/TP selection. If an image is dismissed 5 times, it's removed from the process. This streamlines the process and ensures that any bias present in promotions could be overruled by other staff members.

Status	Basic success
Started	...
Astrometry.net job	9274826
PixInsight job	n/a
PixInsight queue size	n/a
PixInsight stage	n/a

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Whirlpool Galaxy

Whirlpool Galaxy

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Image Index:

Contribution Index (beta):

Whirlpool Galaxy

Whirlpool Galaxy

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