The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 or NGC5194) + Tommaso Massimo Stella + L-CCD

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 or NGC5194)

Credit: Tommaso Massimo Stella (Italy)

Filters: Optolong L-CCD filter

 

 

The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51 or NGC5194) is among the brightest in the sky, easily identifiable even with small aperture telescopes in the constellation of Canes Venatici.
It interacts with the smaller galaxy M51B (or NGC5195, in the photo it is seen on the left) by means of a gaseous channel that has facilitated the creation of star clusters in both directions.
Morphologically M51 is classified as a spiral galaxy while its distance and extension are not exactly estimated (they should be 31 million and 60,000 light years respectively).

 

 

Technical data
Date & Site: 2025-04-30, Stigliano (MT)-Italy, SQM 21.3
Lights: 212x180s (Optolong L-CCD)
Setup: Omegon PRO CC 200@1870mm, Skywatcher AZEQ6 GT, ZWO ASI 2600 DUO

Hope you like it.