| Name | Southern Pinwheel Galaxy |
| Designation(s) | M83, NGC 5236 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Messier, NGC |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Date and Time Observed | 2024-04-27 01:01:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" f10-2,032mm FL |
| Camera | ASI294mc-Pro |
| Image Details | Up is 91.3 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 4m 30s. Exposures 30s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | This is a very tough target as it was only about 17° altitude at capture time. The moon was rising, and clouds emerging. It took me half an hour to capture these 4m 30s, and I figured any more time would likely make the image worse. So I stretched the heck out of it in Affinity Photo to allow me to see some detail. I was amazed that this is a Messier object, given that Paris is even further north than the mid-Hudson valley. Then learned from Wikipedia that this object was discovered at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, and added based on correspondence. Quite possibly Messier never observed it himself. Anyway, a truly fascinating galaxy... I hope I get another shot at observing it under less challenging conditions. |
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