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View Full Version : One More - M51 - The Whirpool Galaxy



Jose Suro
02-28-2008, 10:03 AM
Hi All,

One more galaxy. I'm posting this one to show the difference between wide and narrow fields. This galaxy is much further away (23 million light years) and therefore requires a larger telescope capable of much higher magnification. You can tell by the fewer stars in this image compared to the one I posted last. This was taken with my 11-inch scope in a single night, using a dedicated astro camera with a much smaller sensor, about 1/4 full frame, hence the tighter field (only 1200 pixels across). At this magnification things get very dicey for astrophotography. Everything has to be perfect, including the "seeing" (lack of atmospheric turbulence), for a succesful shoot.

Discovered by Charles Messier in 1773, M51 is a "grand design" spiral galaxy and is interacting with another galaxy - NGC 5195. M51 is actually devouring it :). It's apparent size is only 11.2 arc-minutes, roughly 1/6 of a degree. The light captured here is 23 million years old - if you think about it, from long before there were humans walking around! There are two small elongated light sources on the bottom left of the image. These are other galaxies, so far away that the light reaching us now is so old the dinosaurs were probably not even around then.

Thanks for looking.

Best,

Jose

http://jsuro.smugmug.com/photos/259799979_iFbsy-O.jpg

Fabs Forns
02-28-2008, 10:11 AM
I am really fascinated by your work, Jose.
It's very humbling to see how grand creation really is!

Thank you so much for sharing :) And the explanation included. Greatly appreciated.

Bob Ettinger
02-28-2008, 01:28 PM
You sure know how to make us feel small. :D Beautiful image.

George DeCamp
02-28-2008, 03:44 PM
Another incredible image. I am loving the colors too, didn't realize they were so visible from earth. Thanks for posting his Jose.

Rich Ikerd
02-28-2008, 05:24 PM
Awesome image Jose. Nothing like a good photo of a galaxy to make you feel really tiny.

Jim Poor
02-28-2008, 06:54 PM
Amazing. Makes me want to dig out my telescope. I tried astro-photography when I first got started, but when I realized I could barely see even the closest planets, I let it fall away.

Brian Wong
02-28-2008, 09:35 PM
Hi Jose!

As Fabs said ... I am fascinated by your work! They really look clean and well done! Awesome!

Alfred Forns
02-28-2008, 10:00 PM
They look so simple and there is so much behind them !!!! Big fan of your work !!! Beautiful and pleasing !!!

Robert Amoruso
02-28-2008, 10:02 PM
Thanks for the details. Very impressive.

Thomas Loucks
03-01-2008, 12:00 PM
No I was trying to blow up the picture to look at it.

Kaushik Balakumar
03-07-2008, 06:33 PM
Thanks a ton for capturing such amazing wonders & presenting it them to us.

rgds,
Kaushik

Maxis Gamez
03-08-2008, 07:02 AM
This is awesome!!!