M74 - Spiral Galaxy in Pisces

One of the fainter Messier Objects due to its low surface brightness,
this beautiful spiral galaxy in Pisces really shows its structure in long exposure photographs.  

Location:  Ballauer Observatory in Azle, Texas
Seeing: 6/10 (2.5 FWHM)
Transparency: 4/10
Date and Time: November 18, 2003 @ 11:00PM
Equipment: SBIG ST-7E, Tak FSQ-106 @ f/5, and Celestron CGE mount
Length: Five 10 minute exposures binned 1x1
Processing Information:  Dark frames, gradient removal, registration and Sigma Combine in MaxIm 3.0.  Levels, Curves, Gaussian Blur and Unsharp Mask in Photoshop 7.

Exposure Notes: First light image with the new Celestron CGE mount.  

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