| Object Data |
| Description |
M64 is a disk galaxy with a central region that looks
surprisingly similar to a human eye. It is a good thing for science that
there are not two galaxies like this close to one another. Recent studies
indicate that there are two counterrotating systems of stars and gas within
the nearly featureless disk. |
| Constellation |
Coma Berenices, Berenice's Hair |
| Right Ascension |
12h 56m 54s |
| Declination |
+21° 39' 52" |
| Magnitude |
9.3 |
| Angular size |
10.3 arcminutes |
| Distance |
4.1 megaparsecs (13 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
408 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 12" LX200 @ f/5.0 (1525mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Orion 120mm refractor @ f/3.75 |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
752 x 580 @ 1.2 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Fifteen exposures of two minutes each. Aligned,
stacked, and processed with AstroArt. |
| Date |
May 4, 2003 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central
South Florida. |
