Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Canes Venatici (CVn)  ·  Contains:  M 63  ·  NGC 5055  ·  PGC 166159  ·  PGC 2179990  ·  PGC 2180638  ·  PGC 2180881  ·  PGC 2180882  ·  PGC 2180892  ·  PGC 2181209  ·  PGC 2181290  ·  PGC 2181404  ·  PGC 2181463  ·  PGC 2181730  ·  PGC 2181732  ·  PGC 2182215  ·  PGC 2182459  ·  PGC 2182677  ·  PGC 2182845  ·  PGC 2183618  ·  PGC 2184042  ·  PGC 2184310  ·  PGC 2184347  ·  PGC 2184603  ·  PGC 2185175  ·  PGC 2185348  ·  PGC 2185562  ·  PGC 2186005  ·  PGC 2186190  ·  PGC 2186388  ·  PGC 2186506  ·  And 102 more.
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M63 Sunflower Galaxy #3, Molly Wakeling
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M63 Sunflower Galaxy #3

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M63 Sunflower Galaxy #3, Molly Wakeling
Powered byPixInsight

M63 Sunflower Galaxy #3

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Description

Another dark-sky weekend acquisition -- M63, the Sunflower Galaxy! This one I imaged with the CCD camera I normally use for scientific imaging (with the photometric filters swapped out for regular ones) attached to my Takahashi refractor. It came out a little noisy, but also gorgeous!

M63 is located in the galaxy-rich constellation of Canes Venatici, and lies 29.3 million lightyears away. It is a type of galaxy called a "flocculent galaxy" due to its continuous, dusty spiral arm structure in visible light. The gaseous disk extends out some 130,000 lightyears -- far beyond the main part of the disk. You can see some of it here, but the more extended parts are more readily visible at radio wavelengths.

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M63 Sunflower Galaxy #3, Molly Wakeling