Date: 12/10/2009
Telescope: Orion 8" f/4.9
Camera: Canon 40D (modified)
Exposures: 20x300 seconds @ ISO1600
Location: Mocksville, NC
Temp: 32F
Seeing: 2/5
Transparency: 4/5
Captured in Nebulosity, stacked using DeepSkyStacker, processed in Photoshop.


From Wikipedia
Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628) is a face-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. The galaxy contains two clearly-defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a Grand Design Spiral Galaxy.[4] The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe.[5][6] However, the relatively large angular size of the galaxy and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves.