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Messier M51

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: 55.23 arc minutes high by 40.98 arc minutes wide
Image orientation: North is top, East is left
Detailed discription of M51 in SEDS Messier database
Other Messier galleries, images or catalogs

Observing Log
Date September 12, 1998
Time at end of first CCD image 21:03 PDT
Time at end of last CCD image 21:22 PDT
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.
 
Sky Conditions
CCD image time: Five 240 seconds images added together
Sky transparency: 5.6 - 4.9 high clouds at 1:00, (Magnitude of the faintest star visible with the unaided eye in Ursa Minor)
Moon rise at 23:52 PDT on September 12, 1998
Astronomical twilight ends in the evening at 21:07 PDT on September 12, 1998
Astronomical twilight starts in morning at 5:01 PDT on September 13, 1998
 
Observing Equipment
80 mm aperture refractor telescope and CCD Cookbook Camera
CCD image time: 5 - 240 seconds images added together
CCD dark calibration frames: 20 - 240 seconds dark frames
Notes: CB245 camera dew with water all over it. There may be water marks on the camera window on some of the images.

© 1998-2003 David Haworth