2016 August 30 ~ M31, the Andromeda Galaxy

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Photographed at Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, between 02.29 and 02.50 EDT

(285 km by road north of Toronto)

* Temperature 12° C.

 

* Total exposure time: 10 minutes

* 540 mm focal length telescope

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Description:

 

One of the most famous and best known objects in the sky is this large spiral galaxy, which can be seen with the unaided eye in a dark-sky location late in the northern hemisphere summer and in the autumn.

 

M31 is about 50% larger than our own Milky Way galaxy, and lies at a distance of about 2.5 million light years. For more information about M31, click here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_Galaxy

 

For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/29251167742

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Technical information:

 

Nikon D810a camera body on Tele Vue 101is apochromatic refracting telescope, mounted on Astrophysics 1100GTO equatorial mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head

 

Ten stacked frames; each frame:

540 mm focal length

ISO 4000; 1 minute exposure at f/5.4; unguided

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes registered in RegiStar;

Stacked and processed in Photoshop CS6 (levels, brightness, contrast, colour balance, sharpening)

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Done