M64

Object: M64
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Distance: 13.5 million light-years
Magnitude: 8.5
Comments:

M64, also known as the Black Eye Galaxy, owing to the dense dust lanes near the core, and appearing as such in the eyepiece, is approximately 13.5 million light-years distant in the Constellation Coma Berenices. The main core of the black dust cloud is thought to be about 40,000 light-years in diameter, and rotates opposite the inner regions of the galaxy nearer the core, brought on apparently by the absorption of a satellite galaxy, and bringing about heavy star formation activity within the obscurring cloud.



Date: April 2004
Place: Asheville, NC
Exposure Details: LRGB: 120:40:40:40 at -30c, Lumincance unbinned; RGB binned 2
Processing: Processed using Registar, Maxlm, and Photoshop CS

Optics: 12.5" RCOS Truss RC
Focal Length: 2908mm @ f9
Mount: Paramount ME
Camera: ST-10XME
Focuser: RCOS
Guiding: On-chip using AO-7
Filters: Tru-Balance LRGB1 1/4"