Messier 101 - Galaxy in Ursa Major
Discovered by Pierre Mechain in 1781, Messier 101 is one of the most dramatic Grand Design spirals readily visible to amateurs.
  • RA: 14:03
  • Dec: 54:20
  • Size: 28.5x28.3'
  • Magnitude: 7.9
  • Distance: 27 Mly
  • Constellation: Ursa Major
  • Millennium Star Atlas: Vol. II, p. 569-70
  • Scope: 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien at f/9
  • Autoguider: ST-4 in average mode
  • Sky conditions: Variable transparency, seeing
  • Film: FLI Dream Machine CCD
  • Exposure: 15x180 seconds L, 2,2,3x420 seconds R,G,B
  • Date: 5-26-04

Another outing chock full of fun. Between an incorrect wind forecast, cirrus streamers dancing around the sky, lightning flashing to the south and an overcast that finally shut me down right in the middle of the color data set acquisition, things didn't go exactly smoothly. But the hardware performed and I did at least manage to salvage a halfway passable color image out of the entire thing.


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