M51 - Whirlpool Galaxy
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- RA: 13:29.9
- Dec: +47:12
- Magnitude: 8.4
- Distance: 37000 kly
- Constellation: Canes Venatici
- Size: 11 x 7 arcmin
- Scope: 8" SCT at f/10
- Autoguider: ST-4 in faint mode
- Sky conditions: good seeing and transparency, a still, moist but clear night. Low about 30 F with fog forming late.
- Film: Fuji Superia 800 (no 4th layer)
- Exposure: 2 x 45 minutes
- Date: April 9, 2002
Comments: The famous Whirlpool galaxy M51 was one of Messier's original discoveries in 1773. Its companion, NGC5195, was discovered in 1781 by Pierre Mechain. M51 was the first galaxy where the spiral structure was discovered in 1845 by Lord Rosse. According to present understanding, the pronounced spiral structure is a result of M51's current encounter with its neighbor.
These two shots were the high point of an evening that ended with some disappointment. It was the first clear night with no moon since February and started out very promising: still air, good conditions and not too cold, however it was quite moist out. In fact the fog that formed eventually all but blocked out the glow from Chicago to the east. It was a lot darker than normal. After completing these two exposures problems with guiding (ultimately) caused by a loose OAG resulted in the evening of shooting ending after two hours of trying to figure out what was going wrong. The lesson learned was to carry the proper tools into the field instead of leaving them an hour away at home. Capturing M51 did smooth out the evening quite a bit. Even the drive home through the fog was entertaining.