2020-04-11/14/15 / Click on image to enlarge
galacticsights
astrophotography
Whirlpool Galaxy, M51
Technical Details
| Location | Zollikerberg, Switzerland |
| Camera | Nikon DSLR D810A |
| Telescope | TS ONTC 12" f/4 Carbon Newton |
| Optics | TS 2,5" Wynne Coma Corrector |
| Focal Length | 1140mm |
| Mount | iOptron CEM60 Center-Balanced Equatorial Mount |
| Autoguiding | PHD2 (Dithering) |
| Focuser | Moonlite |
| Planetarium Software | Stellarium | Image Session Control | APT - Astro Photography Tool v3.81, ASCOM Platform 6 |
| Lights | 32/16/35 x 120s (total 2h46'), ISO-1600, additional Biases, Flats, no Darks |
| Stacking Software | Pixinsight 1.8, Drizzle 2x |
| Image Processing | Pixinsight 1.8 |
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.