Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)


The Whirlpool Galaxy is another very popular target for visual observers. It is about 23 million light years away from us in the constellation Canes Venatici.  There are actually two distinct galaxies pictured here and they are connected by a trail of stellar dust that is being pulled by gravity away from the smaller galaxy and into the larger one.Scope: AP 142 at f/7.5

Scope: AP142 at f/7.5
Mount: AP Mach1GTO
Camera: QSI 583 at –15C
Exposure: LRGB, 1.3 hrs L, RGB from older image


About Greg Marshall

I am a retired electronics engineer and after a few months of enjoying my leisure I began to miss doing product development. My astronomy hobby always needed new solutions to unique problems, so I decided that whenever I came up with a good solution I would try to make it available to others.

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