Object Information:                  Messier 100  (NGC 4321),
                                                Magnitude  -  9.3,
                                                Spiral Galaxy Type - Sbc,
                                                Constellation -  Coma Bernices,
                                                Location -  R.A. 12:22.9, Dec.,
                                                Distance -  estimated to be approximately 65-70 million light years distant,
                                                Size -  130,000 light years.

Description:    This large spiral galaxy resides in the Coma-Virgo Galaxy Cluster, a large group of galaxies seen in the constellations of Virgo and Coma Bernices.  M100 lies approximately 65-70 million light years away and is slightly larger than our own Milky Way galaxy at 130,000 light years in diameter.  The bright knots in the spiral arms are large nebulae where star formation is actively taking place [or was taking place 65-70 million years ago when the light captured by my camera left M100].  It is interesting to remember that the light that was used to create this picture left M100 at about the time that the dinosaurs on earth suffered their mass extinction.  Also, note the numerous background galaxies seen in the frame.

Imaged at:                                Mt. Laguna, Cleveland National Forest, San Diego County, California;
                                                Elevation - 5500 feet

                                                San Diego Astronomy Association's observing site at Tierra Del Sol, San Diego County, CA;

Equipment:                               Optics - Takahashi MT-160 at f/6.3,
                                                Mount - Losmandy G-11 with SkyWalker Servo drive,
                                                Camera - Santa Barbara Instrument Group (SBIG) ST-7E NABG CCD,
                                                Focal Reducer/Field Flattener - none,
                                                Filter - SBIG CFW-8,

Exposure Information:              April 13, 2002 and January 5, 2003
                                                Luminance - Sum of eight, 300 second exposures;

                                                Color Data - Red: 10 min. x 4, Green: 10 min. x 4, Blue: 16 min x 4; 
                                                Guided with the SBIG STV,

Image Acquisition Software:     CCD Soft Ver. 5,

Image Processing Software:      Image calibration - AIP for Windows; Image registration and stacking - MIRA AP 6.03;  Color combination - CCD Soft; Luminance layering and final processing - Photoshop 7.

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