| Description: M63, also known as the Sunflower Galaxy due to the
complex HII regions and complex knotting that surrounds the core, is a
"Grand-Design" spiral in Canes Venatici. It also houses the quasar QSO 1313+422
in its core. The 'bright' star on the left is TYC-3024-00814-1 which, at magnitude
9.4, is about 23 times fainter than you can see with the naked eye from a dark
place.
Image information: Stacked, dark-subtracted, registered combination of 30 x 20s unfiltered images. The image was taken during twilight and has undergone a high-pass FFT filter to remove sky gradient. enhance clarity. Image taken 05/05/2006 20:45 UT. |
| Description: Here is a much deeper image of the galaxy, though with poorer seeing, which has been adjusted slightly to bring out the details more clearly. Many HII knots and be seen in the spiral arms.
Image information: Stacked, dark-subtracted, registered combination of 90 x 10s unfiltered images. The image has undergone histogram shaping in Paint Shop Pro to enhance clarity. Image taken 02/03/2007 00:10 UT. |
Physical information: Magnitude: 9.3, size: 12.6'x7.5', p.a. 105 deg, classification: Sbc, aka NGC5055.