M74 -- the Effects of Astronomical Seeing

A demonstration of the effects of astronomical seeing, the atmospheric turbulence which is the bane of most kinds of optical observations from the ground. This frame compares M74 (NGC 628) as observed on night with different seeing blurs. Improved seeing leads to a dramatic increase in the detectability not only of starlike objects (mostly bright clusters and associations in M74), but to greatly improved resolution of fine detail such as dust structures.

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