NGC 151 with FT data

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Another successful imaging request, this time from the 2 metre Faulkes Telescope South at Siding Springs. This is 3 single exposures of RGB, totalling 250 secs. The images were aligned in APP and processed using Startools. Data was provided by the Las Cumbres Observatory, accessed via Perton Library Astronomy Group.

Some information about this galaxy, lifted from the 'The Cambridge Photographic Atlas of Galaxies'. NGC 151 is a SB(r)bc galaxy mag 12.8, in the constellation of  Cetus, some 170 million light years from our own Milky Way galaxy. It is an "M51" type galaxy in that it is binary galaxy system, the small companion being 2MASXJ00340814, located in the outer left spiral arm in the image. Spectroscopic analysis of the spiral arms to determine rotational velocities have indeed confirmed that they form an M51 type system. 

This data, excellent as it is, is making me miss capturing my own backyard images. I need to get my back into digging holes and laying some concrete....😉