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M65 and M66, spiral galaxies

They are well known as members of the Leo Triplet, a compact group that also includes the galaxy NGC3628. M65 (top right in the image) is a spiral galaxy classified as SAB(rs)a. It has a relatively smooth, poorly defined disc, little current star-forming activity and a bright, compact nucleus. M66 (bottom right in the image) is a spiral galaxy classified as SAB(rs)b. It shows asymmetric spiral arms, probably distorted by gravitational interactions with the other galaxies in the group.

General information

Constellation
Leo
Category
Galaxies
Date
28 January 2022

Capture

Total time
2h 30min
Subframes
300s (L: 30x) ISO 800
Gain / Offset
0 / 0
Calibration
15 dark frames, 50 flat frames, 50 dark-flat frames and 64 bias frames

Equipment

Telescope
TS102 f/5.6
Camera
modified Nikon D90
Filters
UV/IR
Mount
HEQ-5 Pro belt drive
Guiding
Guide scope 60mm f/4 + ASI224MC with PHD2

Processing and environment

Processing
Stacked with DSS, post-processed with PixInsight
Location
l'Ampolla, Tarragona
Sky
Bortle 4

Additional versions

Identified objects