M51: The Whirlpool Galaxy
NEW:
The Whirlpool Galaxy is a pair of
interacting galaxies with a pronounced spiral structure in the
constellation of Canes Venatici (The Hunter's Dogs).
It is located 25 million ly away. With its
total brightness of 8.4 mg, it is hard to make out visually even
with relatively large telescopes.
Images taken: April 19, 2007
Students: Erin Callahan, Halley
Anne Hargrave, Elizabeth Tucker, Kasey Moore.
Telescope: Meade 12 in with f/5.7
focal reducer (f=68in).
Camera: SBIG ST-10 CCD
Exposures: 4x20 min (red), 4x20 min (green), 7x20 min
(blue). That is a total of 5
hours of light collecting.
Image processing: CCDoops + CCDsoft +
Photoshop CS.
Images taken: April 2014
Telescope: CDK 17-in with f/4.6
focal reducer.
Camera: SBIG ST-10 CCD
Exposures: 2x 20 min with each of red, green, blue and
H-alpha fileters.
Image processing: CCDoops + CCDsoft +
Photoshop CS.