Another M101 (4-8-10)

M101 is an enormous galaxy just 27 million light years away in the handle of the Big Dipper. It is 170,000 or so light years across. It is so large that it distorts nearby galaxies, and it is so far-flung that pieces of it seem to be dragging behind it. What looks like a small piece of M101 at the bottom of the image is actually considered a separate galaxy, NGC 5477, but very deep images of M101 (such as this one by R Jay GaBany) show longer and more tenuous spiral arms swirling out beyond what you see here.

This image is a bit better than the one taken a few weeks ago. This is 43x6' with the SXVF-H9C, through the ED80 and WO 0.8x II ff/fr. An IDAS-LPS-P2 filter sat between the fr and the camera. Bias and T-shirt flat frames applied; no darks. Capture was done in Nebulosity 2 and guiding with PHD through the AT66ED on the EM-10. Pre-processing was done in Neb 2, stacking and most post-processing in Maxim, and much touch-up and color work in Photoshop CS3 with the use of an important Carboni action. Thanks to Jim Wood for editing tips.