The Leo Trio
About this Object:
The Leo Triplet (also known as the M66 Group) is a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away[citation needed] in the constellation Leo. This galaxy group consists of the spiral galaxies M65, the M66, and the NGC 3628.
Messier 65 (upper right) (also known as NGC 3623) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo.
Messier 66 (lower right) (also known as NGC 3627) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. M66 is about 95 thousand light-years across with striking dust lanes and bright star clusters along sweeping spiral arms.
NGC3628 (lower Left) also known as Sarah's Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Its most conspicuous feature is the broad and obscuring band of dust located along the outer edge of its spiral arms, effectively transecting the galaxy to our view.
About this Photo:
Date(s): March 10, 2010
Location: From my driveway in Georgetown, Texas
Telescope: ED80 @ F7.5
Mount: HEQ-5
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider / Taurus Tracker III OAG
Camera: Canon 40D Modified
Exposure: 12 x 600s @ ISO1600 (2 hrs total)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.75 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.75 – Darks,Flats,Bias
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3; Gradient Exterminator; Noise Ninja; Noel Carboni's Tools;
Temperature(s): 65º F