Michael A. Stecker
mastecker@gmail.com



 

 
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M101 galaxy
(version 1)
M101, the Pinwheel Galaxy, is a large face-on spiral galaxy located 21 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Ursa Major.  M101 with a diameter of 252,000 light-years is larger than our MKilky Way (diameter of  87,400 light-years) and has around one trillion stars compared to about 300 billion for the Milky Way.  This LRGB-Ha cropped photo is ajoint project of James Foster and Michael Stecker using my Celestron 11-inch Schmidt Cassegrain telescope  at f/7.5.  Exposures were: L= 224min,, H-alpha= 205min RGB= 223min. with a total exposure time of 712-min or  11.86-hours.  Stacked subs were 160-seconds each, except 300-sec for Hydrogen-alpha.
file: M101-LRGB&Ha4b-orig-crsm.jpg
Click here for full resolution image


Photographic Data
Date:
March, 2026

Telescope:
Celestron C11 11-inch SCT at f/7.5
aperture: 2,794 mm, focal ratio with Starizona reducer: f/7.5. reduced focal length: 2,095 mm


Mount:
iOptron CEM60 with off-axis guiding


Imaging Camera:
ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro full frame monochrome astrocamera


Exposures:
LRGB-Ha cropped photo.  Exposures were: L=224min,Ha=205min,Color=283min, total Exp=712 min or 11.86hrs. All subs were 160-seconds, except 300-seconds for Hydrogen-alpha.

.photographic site:
James Foster observatory at Pinon Pines Estates (Frazier Park) California
(Bortle 4 at 5,500 ft elevstion)




M101 galaxy
(version 2)

file: M101-LRGB&Ha4b-orig-cryc2crsm.jpg
Click here for full resolution image