M65 and M66

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M65 & M66 in the constellation Leo

Spiral Galaxies

Messier 66 (NGC 3627) and its neighbors M65 (NGC 3623) and NGC 3628 (not shown in this image), form a most conspicuous triplet of galaxies, the Leo Triplett or M66 group.
M66 is considerably larger than its neighbor, M65

Distance: 35 million light years.
Size: Not available
Camera: SBIG ST-2000XM
Telescope: Astrophysics Starfire 130 EDT F8 with .75 telecompressor
Mount: Losmandy G11 with Gemini Control with Advanced Telescope Systems
                portable pier
Images: 12 luminance @ 5 minutes each for a total exposure time of
                60 minutes. Therefore this is only a monochrome image and really needs
                much more imaging time to bring out the color and the fainter outer
                regions.
Date: December 16, 2007
Software: Camera and guider control - MaximDL, Calibration and stacking, Creation of
                color image - CCDStack, further processing in Photoshop CS2.