| Designation |
Messier
74 (NGC 628)
|
| Type | Spiral Galaxy - Type SA(s)cI |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Coordinates | Telescope centered at RA '01 36 42' - Dec ' + 15' 46 53' |
| 53Magnitude | 9.4 |
| Size | 95,000 light years in Diameter -spiral arms are 1,000 light years thick |
| Distance | 35-40 million light years |
| Dimensions | 11 x 11 arcminutes |
| Image Field | 15 x 19 arcminutes |
|
Notes:
|
The symetrical appearance of M74 is believed to be caused by density waves sweeping around the central gaseous disk, induced by gravetational interaction with some of it's neighboring galaxies. |
| The density waves cause an acceleration of the spiral "wave crest" so they converge towards the spiral arms uniformly. | |
|
|
| Telescopes | Meade 10" LX200 f/10 on Losmandy G-11 with Gemini L3 |
| Focal Length | 1575 mm @ f/6.3 |
| Guiding | SXV guidehead through Takahashi FS60C @ f/5.9 |
| Telescope Control | Maxim DL (V3) |
| CCD Camera |
Starlight
Xpress SXV-H9 - USB 2 ExView progressive scan
1392 x 1040 (6.45 uM)
pixel array (8.98 x 6.71 active area)
|
| Image Scale | .88 arcsec/pixel |
| Filters |
1.25"
Astronomik Type II Dichroic IR blocking filters in Astronomik filter
drawer - Lum, Red, Green, Blue
|
| Exposures |
192 minutes total: Lum 120
minutes (24 x 5) unbinned, Red - 24 (6 x 4), Green - 20 minutes
(5 X 4), Blue - 28 minutes (7 x 4) - RGB all binned 2x - Sigma
combined
|
| Calibration | None |
| Processing Software | Maxim DL, Photoshop CS (8.0), NEAT |
| Location | Chiefland Astronomy Village, FL - 29.393 N , - 82.863 W |
| Date/Time | 10/17/04 - 03:58 - 07:33 UT |
