A crisp spiral paired with its companion galaxy, showing star-forming arms and a tidal bridge in a compact frame.
- What am I looking at?
- The Whirlpool Galaxy is a face-on spiral interacting with a smaller companion galaxy, NGC 5195.
- How far away is it?
- About 23 million light-years away.
- Where is it in the sky?
- In Canes Venatici, near the handle of the Big Dipper.
- Why does it matter?
- A textbook example of galactic interaction and spiral structure.
- When is the best time to photograph it?
- Spring nights when Canes Venatici is high in the sky.
Capture summary
Galaxy in Canes Venatici
Natural color
Broadband RGB
Spring target / wide composition
- Optolong L-Pro 8h 10m 98 x 300s
When to image this target
Galaxy in Canes Venatici; best planned for March through May from New Jersey.
Spring favors higher galaxy fields and northern targets after evening twilight.
Assumes a New Jersey backyard horizon and evening imaging.
Prioritize transparency, darker skies, and long broadband integration.
M51 is listed here in Canes Venatici.
Current frame: Natural color / Broadband RGB.
Live altitude, moon, and filter guidance
Calculating target altitude and moon context.
Use the full planner to enter a ZIP code, choose a date, and compare the target from your sky.
Based on the current time.
Green marks usable dark-sky altitude.
Next upper transit.
Approximate horizon crossing.
Moon phase and altitude.
Acquisition & processing notes
Filter channels, integration times, and capture dates for this frame.
- Optolong L-Pro 98 x 300s, 8h 10m
Field notes for this target.
Browse all capture notesHow I captured this
| Channel | Frames | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Optolong L-Pro | 98 x 300s | 8h 10m |
- Equipment used
- From my current rig
- Mount
- iOptron CEM60
- Telescope
- Explore Scientific FCD100 127mm Carbon Fiber Triplet APO
- Camera
- ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
- Filters
- Chroma 36mm Ha, OIII, SII, and LRGB (ZWO EFW 7×36mm)
- Focuser / rotator
- MoonLite NiteCrawler
- Reducer
- Starizona Apex ED 0.65×
- Guiding
- ZWO off-axis guider + ASI290MM Mini
- Control / power
- PrimaLuceLab Eagle 4S, Powerwerx PSU, Bioenno field battery, and MEGAbox
