Messier 51
Well known Galaxy close to the "Big Dipper"
22600 Sec = 6.3 hours CCD - by means of a 5 " APO f 9 . Camera : Apogee AP6E
Sky conditions - clear and very cold. Patience pays off - photographers during the long nights of April 05 and 06 2003 : Søren V. Andersen, David Langer, Michael Jensen, Claus Petersen and veteran astronomy students : Mads J. Clausen, Kim Lorenzen.
LRGB colour as described by Rob Gendler et al - Image Field Size : 1,2 x 1,2 deg Exposure times - LRGB - 8600s - 3600s - 2600s - 7800s added together from individual 200 sec images.
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Download 16 bit reduced Fits file -
Download IEEE Float Fits file -
Download original 32 bit Fits file (Native Maxim Format) -
Distance : 37 mio Lightyears - click for details. Limiting magnitude estimate : 21.5 .
This image is copyfree for newspaper, scientific and science educational applications (no application in astrology or doomsdaystuff) : provided this student observatory at EUC Syd and AGS is credited, informed and linked.
Amateur Images at Seeds
Danish Taustrup Observatory
Also notice, this is actually a collision between 2 galaxies, notice the faint loop like gas trails above M51 + NGC 5195 :
The full scale image also shows several additional galaxies - to the lower left - starting with IC 4263 - lower right corner, 20 arcminutes direction Southwest.
Deep Sky Photo - 16 " SCT - AP6
Technical Data : 16" LX200 SCT - f 10 - user retrained PEC
Sky conditions - good - Apr19, 1999 approx 2050 UT.
Photographing, Guiding and Image reduction : Christian, Bjørn, Tine , Hans Jørgen et al.
Messier Galaxy M101
Distance 37 mio Lightyear - "Whirlpool Galaxy" - within Ursa Majoris - "Big Dipper".
Photo : 1500 Sec = 30 x 50 seconds CCD guided.
(Click for full resolution - f = 4 meters !)