M64 Black eye Galaxy

[billdan]

This object doesn't get any higher than 40º Elevation at my place, so I could only image 1 hour per night over 7 days. Even then I got very little blue data, so the galaxy is lacking the correct amount of blue.

Details from NASA

M64 was discovered by the English astronomer Edward Pigott. It is located 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices and is best observed in May. With an apparent magnitude of 9.8,

The gas in the outer regions of this remarkable galaxy is rotating in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in its inner regions. This strange behavior can be attributed to a merger between M64 and a satellite galaxy over a billion years ago. New stars are forming in the region where the oppositely rotating gases collide, are compressed, and then contract.

Thanks for looking
Bill

[strongmanmike]

Wow excellent Shot Bill, really well handled :thumbsup:

I looked at this through a 25" Dob at The Texas Star Party last week and it looked awesome!

Mike

[billdan]

Thanks a lot Mike, it must have been incredible looking at it in a 25" DOB.

I used Martin Pugh's APOD version of M64 as a guide but I could never get the amount of blue he had in his image.

[Placidus]

That's a lovely image of a very worthy target under difficult conditions, Bill.

We enjoyed your quotation from NASA about the counter-rotating colliding galaxies too.

[billdan]

Thank you Mike and Trish, regarding the counter-rotation, the universe never ceases to amaze me.

[topheart]

Fascinating object.
Well done.
Cheers,
Tim

[LewisM]

Cracker image Bill.

[RickS]

Great result, Bill!

[billdan]

Tim, Lewis and Rick, appreciate it thanks.

[Ryderscope]

A very nice M64 Bill. Was definitely worth putting the time in.

[Camelopardalis]

That's a beauty Bill :thumbsup:

[billdan]

Thanks Rodney and Dunk, got to plan now for the next new moon and see what I can target.

[gregbradley]

Nice work on a not so easy target.

Greg.

[RobC]

That's an interesting object. Well done Bill.

Rob

[willik]

That is a difficult object well done Bill
Martin