M74 – Psc
Messier 74
Messier 74 is a gorgeous galaxy in Pisces, showing an almost perfect spiral structure. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780. Because of its low surface brightness, it is one of the Messier objects more difficult to see. Its distance is estimated in 30 millions of light years.
This image was obtained with the Plavewave 17 unit, part of the Virtual Telescope Project. A total of 15 exposures, with 5 minutes of integration each, were averaged. Images were unguided, completely trusting the Paramount ME mount. The CCD camera is a SBIG STL-6303E. The image scale is of 1.3 “/pixel.