M51, the Whirlpool galaxy

I love M51, it's just so ... dramatic. The smaller companion galaxy (NGC 5195) is being ripped apart by the massive gravity of the Whirlpool. This is 37 million ly away, approx. 100,000 ly across.

 

Details (for the geeks) :

 

Capture date: March 30, 2008

Scope: WO FLT 110 (TMB) @ f/7

Mount: HEQ5 Pro unguided

Camera: modified Canon 350, ISO800

Exposure: 84 minutes, 28x180sec lights, 10 darks, 20 flats, 10 flat-darks

Conditions: average seeing, average transparency

Processing: stacked in DeepSkyStacker, processed in PS CS2

Done