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Robert Chozick | all galleries >> Galleries >> Deep Sky Images > M 101 Pinwheel Galaxy
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17-Apr-2022

M 101 Pinwheel Galaxy

Paducah Skies Observatory

The Pinwheel Galaxy (also known as Messier 101 or NGC 5457) is a face-on spiral galaxy distanced 25 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, first discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 27, 1781, and communicated to Charles Messier who verified its position for inclusion in the Messier Catalogue as one of its final entries. M101 is a relatively large galaxy compared to the Milky Way. With a diameter of 170,000 light-years it is nearly twice the size of the Milky Way. (Wikipedia).

Paducah Skies Observatory is a private observatory SW of Paducah, TX. It sits on 45 acres of native Texas grasslands and mesquite trees. The skies are 21.99 on the light pollution scale (almost Bortle 1).

Astro-Tech AT8RC Carbon Fiber Ritchey-Chretien
Astro Tech Field Flattener
ZWO ASI2600MC Pro CMOS One Shot Color Camera
Baader Vario Finder mounted as Guidescope
ZWO ASI178MM Guide Camara
Astro Physics 900 GTO mount

54 exp 4 min each (100 gain/20 offset)

Guided with PHD-2
Captured with The Sky X
Pre-processed and Stacked in Nebulosity 4
Post Processed in Pixinsight and Photoshop full exif


other sizes: small medium large original auto