Messier 106 and NGC4217
This is It is one of the largest and brightest nearby galaxies, similar in size and luminosity to the Andromeda Galaxy. My focal length of 749mm is best used for the larger galaxies, so this one was was a good choice.
Telescope: My ZWO FF107 at remote observatory in Texas. Camera ZWO ASI2600MM Pro.
Filters: L 80x300, R 55x300, G 49x300, B 49x300, Ha: 38x300
Total integration 22h 35m.
Awarded ‘Top Pick’ on the Astrobin website.
The plan here was to feature M106 in the constellation Canes Venatici, but it turned out there were plenty of bonus galaxies that I hadn’t expected, including NGC4217 in the version below. If you look closely there are a few tiny beauties scattered around.
The field of view includes possibly the two most distant objects I have ever captured, albeit accidentally. See the quasar and galaxy below.
To put the above dates into context, life on Earth was just starting 3.8 million years ago, at a time when a heavy pounding of the planet by asteroids and other objects came to an end. It was known as The Late Heavy Bombardment. And 12 billion years ago the first galaxies were just starting to form, as the universe is 13.8 billion years old.