Whirlpool Galaxy M51 Immersed in the Remaining Faint Nebulosity from a Galactic Shock
Alqueva´s Dark Sky Reserve | By Year: 2026 | Deep Sky Wide Field
Being a classic, it was the target choosen for the first light of the new Celestron Edge HD 11″ at f/7 and SW CQ-350 mount. Located near the boundaries of constellation Canes Venatici, close to Ursa Major, at a distance of about 31 million light-years away from us, lies the Galaxy M51. Also known as Whirlpool Galaxy, it´s an interacting spiral galaxy, with 60 thousand light-years in diameter which has a smaller companion with an intriguing shape, named NGC 5195. The main galaxy of this duet, is featuring detailed and colorful spiral arms with dust lanes, which seems to interact with its small companion galaxy (at left on the landscape view, or up, in the portrait version) creating a faint tidal of debris that seems to spread while vanishing in space. On the portrait view (version below), in the lower right corner is visible a small faint shape belonging to another galaxy IC4263. On the left side of NGC5195 is visible an even “smaller” galaxy, IC4277. The image was captured from Dark Sky® Alqueva region, Portugal and comprises 24h of expousure.
PT: Sendo um clássico, foi este o alvo escolhido para a primeira luz do novo Celestron Edge HD 11″ a f/7 e a montagem SW CQ-350. Localizada próximo dos limites da constelação de Canes Venatici, perto da Ursa Maior, a uma distância de cerca de 31 milhões de anos-luz de distância, fica a Galáxia M51. Também conhecida como Whirlpool Galaxy, é uma galáxia espiral interagente, com 60 mil anos-luz de diâmetro, que possui uma companheira menor e com uma forma intrigante e peculiar, chamada NGC 5195. A galáxia principal deste dueto, apresenta braços espirais detalhados e coloridos, com faixas de poeira escura, e que parecem interagir com a companheira de viagem mais pequena (à esquerda na versão da imagem horizontal, ou acima, na versão da imagem vertical), criando uma leve maré de detritos que parecem espalhar-se enquanto desaparecem suavemente no espaço profundo. Na vista de retrato (vertical), no canto inferior direito é visível uma pequena forma oval de brilho fraco pertencente a outra galáxia a IC4263. Muito perto e à esquerda da NGC5195 é visível uma galáxia ainda “menor”, a IC4277. A imagem foi captada a partir do território do Dark Sky@ Alqueva, Portugal e representa um total de 24h de exposição.
Technical details | Detalhes Técnicos
Celestron Edge HD11″ with reducer to f/7 and a SW CQ-350 mount auto-guided in N.I.N.A | Poseidon-C Pro Camera from Player One Astronomy | Sub Exp. 5 min| Total integration of 24h. Processing on PixInsight 1.8.9-3, photoshop CC 2026. Cumeada Observatory from Dark Sky® Alqueva Reserve, Reguengos de Monsaraz.
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