M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
Exposure Time: 2.5 hours
Approximately 25 million lightyears from earth, M51 is actually two gravitationally-interacting galaxies. It is often observed that when two galaxies find themselves drawn towards each other, coupled by an attractive force, the dynamical interactions that follow tend to rapidly accelerate stellar birth rates. You can see evidence of this in brighter clumps of gas in the spiral arms. Note the bonus galaxy (IC 4263) in the top right of the frame!
Exposure Time: 2.5 hours
Approximately 25 million lightyears from earth, M51 is actually two gravitationally-interacting galaxies. It is often observed that when two galaxies find themselves drawn towards each other, coupled by an attractive force, the dynamical interactions that follow tend to rapidly accelerate stellar birth rates. You can see evidence of this in brighter clumps of gas in the spiral arms. Note the bonus galaxy (IC 4263) in the top right of the frame!
M104 - Sombrero Galaxy
Exposure Time: 4.5 hours The Sombrero Galaxy has been my favorite galaxy ever since getting astronomy-themed Monopoly as a kid. It’s a particularly difficult target due to a large dynamic range, and the fine detail hidden in its dust lanes. |
M63 - Sunflower Galaxy
Exposure Time: 6 hours I tried a different processing technique in which “the little computer that could” changed its mind near the end of a 19-hour run. So I compromised with this data and gave up on that technique. |
M101 - Pinwheel Galaxy
Total Exposure: 6 hours
Like the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), M101 sits near five smaller companion galaxies. The exchanged gravitational forces distort the shape of M101, causing its asymmetrical spiral as well as a multitude of gaseous star forming regions, visible as bright clumps throughout the galaxy’s arms (similar to M51).
The Pinwheel Galaxy has the same approximate structure and size as the Milky Way.
Total Exposure: 6 hours
Like the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), M101 sits near five smaller companion galaxies. The exchanged gravitational forces distort the shape of M101, causing its asymmetrical spiral as well as a multitude of gaseous star forming regions, visible as bright clumps throughout the galaxy’s arms (similar to M51).
The Pinwheel Galaxy has the same approximate structure and size as the Milky Way.
M81 & M82 - Bode's Galaxy (right), Cigar Galaxy (left)
Total Exposure: 4 hours In a better image, you'd see the fiery red streaks from the cigar galaxy and some pink, nebula-rich regions in Bode's Galaxy. But, this version does contain a nice hairlike blemish that somehow survived my image calibration process! |
Markarian's Chain - Galaxy Cluster
Total Exposure: 3.5 Hours As the name suggests, this is a cluster of galaxies gravitationally attracted to their collective center of mass. It's a fairly large structure, with even more galaxies that didn't fit in the frame. |
M13 - Globular Cluster in Hercules
Exposure Time: 1 hour
Ok, not technically a galaxy, but almost like a mini version. Globular clusters are bodies of millions of stars that clump together due to gravity. When it comes to astrophotography, preserving sharp, pinpoint stars and a visible, accurate brightness gradient throughout globular clusters is deceptively hard. Perhaps it will be surprising to learn that stars are probably the trickiest components to handle in astrophotography, so I’m proud of this image, even if some people think globs are boring.
Exposure Time: 1 hour
Ok, not technically a galaxy, but almost like a mini version. Globular clusters are bodies of millions of stars that clump together due to gravity. When it comes to astrophotography, preserving sharp, pinpoint stars and a visible, accurate brightness gradient throughout globular clusters is deceptively hard. Perhaps it will be surprising to learn that stars are probably the trickiest components to handle in astrophotography, so I’m proud of this image, even if some people think globs are boring.
