Daniele Malleo
M63: The Sunflower Galaxy
Light takes about 35 million years to reach us from M63, and about 60,000 years to cross the spiral galaxy.
Stars in the outer regions of the Sunflower Galaxy rotate about the center at a speed so high that, given the matter seen and assuming normal gravity, they should fly off into space. The fact that the stars remain indicates the presence of sort of invisible, gravitationally-binding, dark matter.
Observers with keen eyes will notice faint "tidal loops" enveloping the galaxy way outside of the main spiral.
Data captured in 2017 from SRO in California
Scope: Ceravolo C300 @ f/4.9 = 1470mm FL
Mount: AstroPhysics 1100 AE
Camera: FLI PL16803
Focuser: Optec
Filters: Astrodon
Guiding: Lodestar II / Tak guide scope
Image scale: 1.26 arcsec/pixel
Processing: PixInsight 1.8
*Image processing credit: Daniele Malleo
*Data Acquisition Credit: John Kasianowicz, Daniele Malleo, Rick Stevenson, Jose Mtanous, Scott Johnson, Augusto Hernandez
M63: The Sunflower Galaxy
Light takes about 35 million years to reach us from M63, and about 60,000 years to cross the spiral galaxy.
Stars in the outer regions of the Sunflower Galaxy rotate about the center at a speed so high that, given the matter seen and assuming normal gravity, they should fly off into space. The fact that the stars remain indicates the presence of sort of invisible, gravitationally-binding, dark matter.
Observers with keen eyes will notice faint "tidal loops" enveloping the galaxy way outside of the main spiral.
Data captured in 2017 from SRO in California
Scope: Ceravolo C300 @ f/4.9 = 1470mm FL
Mount: AstroPhysics 1100 AE
Camera: FLI PL16803
Focuser: Optec
Filters: Astrodon
Guiding: Lodestar II / Tak guide scope
Image scale: 1.26 arcsec/pixel
Processing: PixInsight 1.8
*Image processing credit: Daniele Malleo
*Data Acquisition Credit: John Kasianowicz, Daniele Malleo, Rick Stevenson, Jose Mtanous, Scott Johnson, Augusto Hernandez