Messier M51

Messier Object Information
Object Information Messier object: M51 Common name for Messier object: Whirlpool galaxy NGC (New General Catalog) number: NGC 5194 Discription: Spiral Galaxy Located in constellation: Canes Venatici Right ascension in hours minutes: 13:29.9 Declination in degrees minutes: 47:12	Visual magnitude: 8.4 Size: 11 x 7 arc minutes Image size: 31 arc minutes high by 41 arc minutes wide Image orientation: North is top, West is right, East is left and South is bottom Detailed discription of M51 in SEDS Messier database Other Messier galleries, images or catalogs

Observing Log
Date of observation: March 23, 2001
Time at end of first CCD image 00:48 PST
Time at end of last CCD image 1:32 PST
Observing Location: At home on the drive way
Observation of object: M51 with its companion galazy NGC 5195 to the north. M51 has two spiral arms from the center and it has very distinct dark dust lanes.
Notice the very faint arm off the right side of MGC5195.
IC4263 (Magnitude 15.07) is at the bottom edge right corner.

Sky Conditions
Astronomical twilight ended in the evening at 20:07 PST on March 22, 2001
Astronomical twilight started in morning at 4:25 PST on March 23, 2001

Observing Equipment

Fastar Celestron C-8 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with Fastar lens accessory and SBIG ST-237 CCD Camera
CCD image time: 64 - 30 seconds images stacked together
No guiding or PEC.
Imaging processing

M51 image taken with Orion ShortTube 80 mm refractor telescope and Cookbook CB245 CCD Camera.

Use Test patterns to calibrate monitor brightness, contrast, height and width

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