M101 Pinwheel Galaxy

[crimbfighter]

M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy! I just got around to processing this image, which I captured on 3/15. This galaxy is located near the constellation Ursa Major, is about 85,000 light years across, and resides approximately 21 million light years from Earth. Well, according to Wikipedia, anyway. I haven't gotten out my tape measure to verify that

The second image is an annotated version of the first. What's particularly neat to me, is the three small galaxies captured near the top and bottom of the image (labeled in green), as well as all the red spots within M101, which are identified nebulae, just like we have nebulae within our own Milky Way.

Celestron EdgeHD 8" SCT telescope
Celestron AVX mount
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro camera
Optolong L-Pro light polution filter
Orion 60mm guide scope and Starshoot autoguider
Pegasus Astro powerbox

Captured with Sequence Generator Pro
Processed in PixInsight and Photoshop

132 three minute exposures combined for a 6.6 hour total integrated exposure
Calibrated with darks, flats, and bias frames

 

[jeffashman]

Nice astro shots!

 

[slat]

Nice shot.