M101 - The Pinwheel

Very nice Michael.

A fine image Michael, there is a very slight hint of blooming on the brightest stars, but beyond that, excellent.

Magic imaging there Michael

Congrats

Michael,

That is an excellent image. This is a dim galaxy and which is difficult to capture quickly. Just to give you an idea, here is my meager result using 14x15-min subs (ie. 3+ hours): www.astrovox.gr/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=3496 ... I also expected much more but ....

Exceptional clarity in your image Mike, a lucky break for you considering the weather. Nice image.

Couple of beginner questions:

Is M101 really the same (apparent) size as the full moon? If so, I assume the reason I can't see it is because it is so dim. Was this photographed using a piggy-backed camera or through a telescope?

I have a neximage digital camera (attached to the eyepiece holder) but all I can see is a small field of view (e.g. I can't image the whole moon, only a quarter at a time). So, if I was to take a picture like the above pinwheel galaxy, would I be better off using the neximage attached to my scope or just a separate camera piggy-backed on the scope?

Thanks,
Brian