M88

M88 is a spiral galaxy located in the direction of the Constellation Coma Berenices approximately 47 Million Light-Years distant. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies on a highly elliptical orbit that will carry it toward the center of the cluster which is occupied by the giant elliptical galaxy M87 in about 200-300 million years. M88 is about 100,000 Light-Years in diameter, and is lighted by many blue star-forming regions interspersed by heavy dust lanes, and a super massive black hole at its core is about 80 million times the mass of our sun.

Object: M88
Distance: 47 Million Light-years
Magnitude: 10.3
Date: April 2010
Place: Fort Davis, TX
Exposure Details: LRGB:710:140:170:240 unbinned

Processing: MaxIm DL, CCDSharp, CCDInspector, CCDStack, Photoshop CS3

Optics: 12.5" RCOS Truss
Focal Length: 2808mm @ f9
Mount: Paramount ME GEM Robotic
Camera: SBIB STL6303E
Focuser: RCOS
Guiding: Off-Axis with the SBIG Guide Camera
Filters: Tru-Balance LRGB Gen II LRGB 2"