M51
Author: Tiago Ramos
Date: April 12, 2024
Location: Funcho, Algarve (Portugal)
Telescope: TS Photoline 102; 0.8x reducer (571 mm focal length)
Camera: Toupeck 585 MC Pro
Filters: IDAS NGS 1
Integration time: 1h 24m
M51
Author: Tiago Ramos
Date: April 12, 2024
Location: Funcho, Algarve (Portugal)
Telescope: TS Photoline 102; 0.8x reducer (571 mm focal length)
Camera: Toupeck 585 MC Pro
Filters: IDAS NGS 1
Integration time: 1h 24m
Distance: 23 million light-years from Earth
This galaxy is one of the most iconic spirals in the night sky, located in the constellation Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs). It features a nearly perfect design with well-defined spiral arms. Gravitationally interacting with its companion galaxy, NGC 5195, it reveals dust structures and regions of intense star formation, visible as bluish and pinkish hues in the images. This cosmic interaction not only shapes its elegant form but also triggers new generations of stars.