MESSIER 74

FACE ONE SPIRAL GALAXY IN PISCES 

 (Image Centred at ra 01h:36m / dec +15:47)

September 2015 - Camping La Porteña, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

Type: Spiral Galaxy

Apparent Magnitude: 9.4

Apparent diameter: 10 x 9.5 arc minutes 

Distance: 35 millions light years

IMAGE INFORMATION

OPTICS: 8" f5 Orion Optics Reflector with Televue Paracorr working at 5.75

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS  

FILTERS: Baader LRGB

MOUNT: Sky Watcher NEQ6

SKY CONDITIONS: rural skies.

EXPOSURES: LRGB (70,30,30,30) RGB shots at bin 2x2

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

Although it is a Messier object,  this Galaxy is quite hard to image due to its low surface brightness. From our earth perspective we see it "face on" and therefore the spiral structure clearly stands out in a remarkable symmetric appearance. Messier 74 is the prototypical Grand Design Spiral Galaxy. Grand Design spirals often have two symmetric large spiral arms. The nucleolus is small and bright and there are many HII regions demonstrating a vivid activity of star formation M74's disk.

Pierre Méchain found M74 at the end of September of 1780. He reported his discovery to his friend Charles Messier who determined its position and included in his catalogue in October 18th 1780.