M96_V2
Spiral arms seem to swirl around the core of Messier 96 in this colorful island universe. Of course M96 is a spiral galaxy, and counting the faint arms extending beyond the brighter central region it spans 100 thousand light-years or so. That's about the size of our own Milky Way. M96 is known to be 38 million light-years distant, a dominant member of the Leo I galaxy group. In looking at the galaxy, it seems to me it might be becoming a polar ring galaxy; the core is nearly face-on to us, but the outer ring seems to sit at an obilque angle to the core.
Background galaxies and smaller Leo I group members can be found by examining the picture. The most intriguing one is itself a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge on behind the outer spiral arm near the 4 o'clock position from center. Its bright central bulge cut by its own dark dust clouds, the edge-on background spiral appears to be about 1/5 the size of M96. If that background galaxy is similar in actual size to M96, then it would be about 5 times farther away. Text from APOD
Taken from Ambrosia Mill AZ, February 2025
Equipment Paramount MYT, ZWO 2600MM, Vixen VC200L @ 1800mm focal length. Scope courtesy of Larry Parker
This image is an LRGB composition. Stars are RGB only.
RGB 2 hours each channel
L 10 hours
M96_V2
Spiral arms seem to swirl around the core of Messier 96 in this colorful island universe. Of course M96 is a spiral galaxy, and counting the faint arms extending beyond the brighter central region it spans 100 thousand light-years or so. That's about the size of our own Milky Way. M96 is known to be 38 million light-years distant, a dominant member of the Leo I galaxy group. In looking at the galaxy, it seems to me it might be becoming a polar ring galaxy; the core is nearly face-on to us, but the outer ring seems to sit at an obilque angle to the core.
Background galaxies and smaller Leo I group members can be found by examining the picture. The most intriguing one is itself a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge on behind the outer spiral arm near the 4 o'clock position from center. Its bright central bulge cut by its own dark dust clouds, the edge-on background spiral appears to be about 1/5 the size of M96. If that background galaxy is similar in actual size to M96, then it would be about 5 times farther away. Text from APOD
Taken from Ambrosia Mill AZ, February 2025
Equipment Paramount MYT, ZWO 2600MM, Vixen VC200L @ 1800mm focal length. Scope courtesy of Larry Parker
This image is an LRGB composition. Stars are RGB only.
RGB 2 hours each channel
L 10 hours