Messier 74

As you can see, M74 is a classic whirlpool galaxy and is known to be the second-most difficult Messier object to see through a telescope.  The faintness in the photo above, despite nearly an hour of exposure time, is a testament to the difficulty.

Photo Details
Messier 74
November 29, 2013
Orion 8" Astrograph on VX Mount
Nikon D3100 Camera - ISO 1600
117 sub frames at 30"/frame
Total Exposure Time = 58 minutes 30 seconds
Image Stacking in Deep Sky Tracker
Image Processing in Fitswork