Messier 101: My First Galaxy Capture
This light, gracing our screens today, has been on a journey for approximately 25 million years. It's my absolute pleasure to share my first successful capture of a galaxy, the magnificent Messier 101, also affectionately known as the Pinwheel Galaxy.
Located in the constellation Ursa Major, the Pinwheel Galaxy is a breathtaking face-on spiral. With a diameter stretching about 170,000 light-years, it dwarfs our own Milky Way, a humbling thought when we consider the sheer scale of the cosmos.
What truly astounds me is that within this single frame, we are not just looking at stars, but potentially hundreds, if not thousands, of other galaxies. Each point of light in the background could be an entire universe unto itself, holding its own mysteries and wonders.
My Astrophotography Setup
Capturing this distant beauty was a rewarding challenge. Here's a look at the equipment that made it possible:
- Camera: Canon EOS 2000D
- Lens: Walimex 500mm f/6.3
- Filter: Optolong L-Pro EOS Clip
- Star Tracker: Skywatcher Star-Adventurer 2i
Acquisition and Processing Details
The imaging session involved:
- Total Integration Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Sub-exposures: 420 frames at 20 seconds each
- ISO: 3200
For calibration, I captured:
- 30 flats
- 30 darks
- 30 biases
The post-processing journey involved several powerful tools to bring out the details of M101:
- Siril
- GraXpert
- Gimp
- Snapseed
This project has certainly ignited a passion for deep-sky astrophotography, and I'm eager to share more celestial wonders with you all!
