Messier 51 (left) interacting with NGC 5194 (right). The interaction is dispersing stars in tidal streamers extending away from the galaxies. Numerous distant galaxies are visible in the background.
Acquisition Data:
Telescope/Mount: Celestron Compustar C14 at f/11.
Camera: SBIG STL 11000 with Baader Planetarium LRGB filters.
Other: SBIG AO-L adaptive optics at 4.5 Hz.
Location: Pommier Observatory, Portland, OR, USA
Exposures: L:R:G:B = 410:130:130:130 =13 hours 15 minutes total exposure.
See additional astrophotographs at www.rodpommier.com
Dates: 2014-06-02 through