M61

M61, an unusually angularly shaped galaxy in the constellation of Virgo, is a rather compact 6.5' x 5.8' face-on spiral at a bright 10.1 magnitude. It is flanked on the left by NGC4303A, a companion galaxy, and to the right by NGC4292. It is part of the large Virgo cluster of galaxies. This image was taken at Chiefland during the Spring Partyt with the 10" Newtonian.

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Image info:

10" Homemade Newtonian on a Losmandy Titan Mount

Starlight Express
SXV-H9C

29x4 mins

f/4 with MPCC

Acquired in Astroart and processed in Maxim as an RGB image (no darks and no flats)

guided with an STV on a piggybacked Sky90 refractor

4.10.05

Chiefland