AP#63 : M51
Name: The "Whirlpool" galaxy
Constellation:Canes Venatici
Instrument: 8-inch F5 reflector with sky watcher coma corrector and a modified Nikon D3300.
Exposure time: A stack of 16 five-minute exposures at ISO 800.
Star Chart from Michael Vlasov's Deep sky hunter star atlas available on line https://www.deepskywatch.com/deep-sky-hunter-atlas.html
Magnitude: 8.4
Angular size: 11.2' X 6.9'
M51 is a spiral galaxy that has a prominent companion dwarf galaxy (NGC 5195) connected to one of its sprial arms. This was the first galaxy to be determined to have a spiral structure, when William Parsons viewed it through his massive 72-inch telescope. The pair are a celestial showpiece.
