M66

M66: M66 is one of three galaxies in the "Leo Triplet" (the others being M65 and NGC3628).

Messier: 66
NGC: 3627
Right Ascension: 11 hrs 20.2 min
Declination: 12° 59"
Apparent Magnitude: 8.9

Date: September 2008
Equipment:
Telescope: Meade 16" Schmidt Cassegrain with f6.3 reducer
Camera: SBIG ST-10XE
Guiding: Meade 5" refractor/DSI Pro/PHD

Exposure: About 3 hours total in 2 minute subframes.
Processing Notes: Image capture and reduction in CCDSoft. Final adjustments in AstroArt.
Scale: 1.01"/pixel

Links to images of this object on other sites:
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060902.html
http://www.noao.edu/outreach/aop/observers/m66.html

Additional Comments: Image capture and processing by Garrett Dean. Another or the pre-wedge images. The challenge with shooting in Alt-Az mode is that the "correct" flat keeps changing with each exposure, since the field de-rotator keeps moving the camera.

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