Go Behind the Scenes of This Incredible Galaxy Photograph

Astrophotography is a genre that requires specialized equipment, deep knowledge, and a lot of patience. It is a treat to watch a talented astrophotographer in action, and this neat behind-the-scenes video shows you the process of shooting an entrancing galaxy a whopping 55 million light-years away. 

Coming to you from Astro Backyard, this interesting video follows the process of shooting Messier 100 (NGC 4321). For this, a Celestron EdgeHD 11" f/10 Aplanatic Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope is used, which has a focal length of 2,800mm. Messier 100 is a spiral galaxy and is one of the biggest and brightest members of the Virgo Cluster. It sits an incredible 55 million light-years away from us (or 323,300,000,000,000,000,000 miles) and is about 107,000 light-years in diameter. In addition, Messier 100 was one of the first spiral galaxies to be discovered, first seen in 1781. Beyond that, seven supernovae have been discovered inside the galaxy. I am always fascinated watching professional astrophotographers in action; the thought that such unbelievably distant objects can be captured is a bit mind-boggling to me, and seeing their dedication and precise technique in action is really inspiring. The results are definitely worth the time and effort that went into making the image. Check out the video above to see how it was done. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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5 Comments

I always find stuff like this fascinating! Thanks for posting it!

Maybe when I'm retired (which seems a long way off :-( ), I can spend the time trying some astrophotography!

I don't mean to burst your bubble, but I'm retired and time isn't the issue, the limited income makes buying this type of gear a fantasy. If you want to do it, start buying stuff now, while you can put in a few extra hours to cover the costs.

Also, I can't imagine, at my age, carrying that stuff in and out of the house! :)

I wish you the best, but I wanted to point out that retirement comes with its own set of problems, so if this is important to you, don't wait too long to enjoy it.

So true. A friend of mine uses a small camera dedicated for astrophotography, a Samyang 135/2 lens, and all that stuff needed for remote imaging and he goes for stacking tons of images on clear nights. All his stuff costs less than my second hand Leica Q.

IMO the mount is by far the most important piece of gear. Especially at that focal length. If you are going to start in this hobby do not skimp on the mount

Yep! I once dabbled in this genre. I had an 8X8 rolloff roof observatory in my backyard. I used an MI250 mount (been out of business for some time now) which tracked very well. I also had a 14" Celestron that had a 3910mm focal length. Not the easiest scope to use for imaging, but sure was fun for viewing!