Whirlpool Galaxy, M51 - Astrophotography by galacticsights

2018-03-23, 2017-05-25 / Image Details (Click on image to enlarge)

"The color difference between the two images is caused by using different color calibration methods in Pixinsight. The bluish image is the result of the PhotometricColorCalibration.."

The Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, is a grand design spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Canes Venatici. It is one of the most famous galaxies in the sky, appearing face-on when viewed from Earth. M51 has a much smaller dwarf companion, known as NGC 5195, and together they form the finest and most studied example of an interacting galaxy pair in the sky. The M51 lies in a distance of 23 million light years from the Earth and has a diameter of 75'000 light years.

Technical Details

Location	Zollikerberg, Switzerland
Camera	Nikon DSLR D810A
Telescope	Skywatcher Quattro 8CF 200 DS Fibre OTA Newton Carbon
Special Lense	Skywatcher Newtonian F4 Coma Corrector
Mount	Skywatcher AZ-EQ6
Autoguiding	Lacerta MGEN2 (Autoguiding, Dithering)
Focuser	Lacerta MFOC Motorfocuser
Planetarium Software	Stellarium
Image Session Control	APT - Astro Photography Tool v3.5, ASCOM Platform 6
Lights	59 x 120s // 58 x 120s (total 3h54'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks
Stacking Software	Pixinsight 1.8, Bayer Drizzle 2x
Image Processing	Pixinsight 1.8

2017-05-25 / Earlier Version, part 1 of the above image

"The Whirlpool Galaxy is best seen in the northern hemisphere from April to May."

Technical Details

Location	Zollikerberg, Switzerland
Camera	Nikon DSLR D810A
Telescope	Skywatcher Quattro 8CF 200 DS Fibre OTA Newton Carbon
Special Lense	Skywatcher Newtonian F4 Coma Corrector
Mount	Skywatcher AZ-EQ6, EQASCOM, Stellarium
Autoguiding	Lacerta MGEN2 (Autoguiding, Dithering)
Camera Control	Digicamcontrol (Focus, Camera Control)
Lights	56 x 120s (1h52'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks
Stacking Software	Pixinsight 1.8, Bayer Drizzle 2x
Image Processing	Pixinsight 1.8