Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Coma Berenices (Com)  ·  Contains:  IC 783  ·  M 100  ·  NGC 4312  ·  NGC 4321  ·  NGC 4322  ·  NGC 4323  ·  NGC 4328

Image of the day 05/08/2021

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M100 | A Grand Design Spiral with Inner Star Forming Ring, Kevin Morefield
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M100 | A Grand Design Spiral with Inner Star Forming Ring

Image of the day 05/08/2021

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M100 | A Grand Design Spiral with Inner Star Forming Ring, Kevin Morefield
Powered byPixInsight

M100 | A Grand Design Spiral with Inner Star Forming Ring

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Description

M100 is a smallish Messier Galaxy, 7.5' at its widest. But it makes up for its size with a delicate spiral morphology. The most interesting detail is a very bright blue inner ring where stars are being birthed in large numbers. This ring required combining a separate, more limited stretch to prevent it saturating.

This galaxy and its companions, NGC4328 and NGC 4323, are a part of the Virgo cluster. Zooming in, it would seem that half of the objects in the FOV are stars and half are galaxies.

I like to imagine this galaxy and M31 switching places. What a beautiful sight that would make using binoculars.

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M100 | A Grand Design Spiral with Inner Star Forming Ring, Kevin Morefield