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Date: Apr. 14 Thru 18, 2020 Location: Dark Sky Observatory, Fort Davis, TX Telescope: 10 in. RC - Mount: Paramont MX - Camera: Apogee F8300M Exposure: L = 340 min. - Ha = 280 min. - R, G, & B = 200 min. each Click on the image to view at higher resolution. |
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Discovered 1779 by Pierre Mechain. The Sunflower galaxy, M63, is one of the early recognized spiral galaxies. It has been classified as a SAbc galaxy. The SA designation refers to a central core that does not exhibit a bar structure. The bc designation indicates the galaxy has loosely wound spiral arms. M63 has numerous HII regions where new stars are being born. These areas are evident in the image above as the red/pink features. These HII regions stand out in the Hydrogen Alpha portion of the spectrum. Although M63 is located about 6 degrees south of M51, it is considered part of a physical group consisting of M51 and several smaller galaxies. M63 lies in the constellation Canes Venatici and is approximately 29 million light years from our Milky Way galaxy. 1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_Galaxy
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