Nikon D7000, 5*30 sec.

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Explanation: NGC 4631 is a big beautiful spiral galaxy seen edge-on (top right) only 25 million light-years away towards the small northern constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape suggests to some a cosmic herring and to others the popular moniker of The Whale Galaxy. Either way, it is similar in size to our own Milky Way. In this gorgeous color image, the Whale's dark interstellar dust clouds, yellowish core, and young blue star clusters are easy to spot. A companion galaxy, the small elliptical NGC 4627, appears above the Whale Galaxy. At the lower left is another distorted galaxy, the hockey stick-shaped NGC 4656. The distortions and mingling trails of gas detected at other wavelengths suggest that all three galaxies have had close encounters with each other in their past. The Whale Galaxy is also known to have spouted a halo of hot gas glowing in x-rays. (Text from apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071012.html)

This mosaic picture was photographed during March, 24 and April, 10-12, 2012 in Khlepcha observatory, Ukraine.
Equipment: reflector S&D 254 mm. f/4.7
Mount WhiteSwan-180, camera QSI-583wsg, Tevevue Paracorr-2. Off-axis guidecamera Orion SSAG.
LRGB filter set Baader Planetarium.
NGC4631: L=18*300 sec. bin.1, RGB: 8*300-450 sec. bin2. FWHM (L channel) 2,71″ — 3.39″

NGC4645: L=22*450 sec. bin.1, RGB: 10*450-600 sec. bin2. FWHM (L channel) 2,17″ — 2.66″
Processed Pixinsight 1.7 and Photoshop CS5.

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Description: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q0957%2B561

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC3079



This picture was photographed during April, 10-12, 2012 in Khlepcha observatory, Ukraine.
Equipment: reflector S&D 254 mm. f/4.7
Mount WhiteSwan-180, camera QSI-583wsg, Tevevue Paracorr-2. Off-axis guidecamera Orion SSAG.
LRGB filter set Baader Planetarium.
L=22*450 sec. bin.1, RGB: 9*450-600 sec. bin2
Processed Pixinsight 1.7 and Photoshop CS5.

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Explanation: One of the bright spiral galaxies visible in the north sky is M63, the Sunflower Galaxy. M63, also catalogued as NGC 5055, can be found with a small telescope in the constellation of Canes Venaciti. Visible in the above picture are long winding spiral arms glowing blue from a few bright young stars, emission nebulae glowing red from hot ionized hydrogen gas, and dark dust in numerous filaments. M63 interacts gravitationally with M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) and several smaller galaxies. Light takes about 35 million years to reach us from M63, and about 60,000 years to cross the Sb-type spiral galaxy. Stars in the outer regions of the Sunflower Galaxy rotate about the center at a speed so high they should fly off into space, indicating that some sort of invisible, gravitationally-binding, dark matter is present. (text from apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap000627.html)

This picture was photographed on April, 13, 2012 in Khlepcha observatory, Ukraine.
Equipment: reflector S&D 254 mm. f/4.7
Mount WhiteSwan-180, camera QSI-583wsg, Tevevue Paracorr-2. Off-axis guidecamera Orion SSAG.
LRGB filter set Baader Planetarium.
L=17*450 sec. bin.1, RGB: 8*450-600 sec. bin2
Processed Pixinsight 1.7 and Photoshop CS5.

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Description:
Messier 109 (also known as NGC 3992) is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 83.5 ± 24 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. M109 can be seen southeast of the star Phecda (γ UMa).

History
Messier 109 was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. In 1783 Charles Messier catalogued NGC 3992 as his 109th object.
Between the 1920s through the 1950s, it was considered that Messier objects over 103 were not official, but in later years the additions became more widely accepted. David H. Levy mentions the modern 110 object catalog while Sir Patrick Moore gave the original to 104 but has M105-M109 listed as an addendum. By the late 1970s all 110 objects are commonly used among astronomers as they still are today.

In March 1956, supernova 1956A was observed in M109. SN 1956A was a type Ia supernova in the southeast part of the galaxy, glowing at magnitude 12.8 to 12.3 at its maximum. SN 1956A has been the only supernova observed in M109 since its discovery.

M109 has three satellite galaxies (UGC 6923, UGC 6940 and UGC 6969) and possibly might have more. Detailed hydrogen line observations have been obtained from M109 and its satellites. M109's H I distribution is regular with a low level radial extension outside the stellar disc, while at exactly the region of the bar, there is a central H I hole in the gas distribution. Possibly the gas has been transported inwards by the bar because of the emptiness of the hole no large accretion events can have happened in the recent past.

Environment
M109 is the brightest galaxy in the M109 Group, a large group of galaxies located in the constellation Ursa Major that may contain over 50 galaxies.
Description from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_109

This picture was photographed during April, 15-18, 2012 in Khlepcha observatory, Ukraine.
Equipment: reflector S&D 254 mm. f/4.7
Mount WhiteSwan-180, camera QSI-583wsg, Tevevue Paracorr-2. Off-axis guidecamera Orion SSAG.
LRGB filter set Baader Planetarium.
L=14*300 sec. bin.1, RGB: 12*300 sec. bin2
Processed Pixinsight 1.7 and Photoshop CS5.

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