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messier 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy

Telescope:  Planewave 17" CDK.
Mount: Software Bisque Paramount ME
Camera: SBIG STXL11002 with AOX and Apogee U16M
Filters: Astrodon
Exposures:  50+ Hours including the later addition of 12 hours of very high quality luminance acquired with the 11002/AOX.

Astronomy Photograph of the Year 2012
NASA APOD 2 May 2015