M64: The Blackeye Galaxy

Click on image for larger version.

The Black Eye Galaxy in Coma Berenices was discovered by Bode in April 1779. M64 is famous for its conspicuous dark structure which is a prominent dust feature obscuring the stars behind. The main spiral pattern contains a middle aged stellar population. This dust feature is well visible with a small telescope.

M64 was recently shown to have two counterrotating systems of stars and gas in its disk: The inner part is about 6,000 light years across and is rubbing along the inner edge of the outer disk, which rotates opposite and extends up to at least 40,000 light years. The fascinating internal motions of M64 are thought to be the result of a collision between a small galaxy and a large galaxy - where the resultant mix has not yet settled down.

The peculiar dust lane on one side of the nucleus (also a site of star formation, as shown by the blue knots imbedded in it) may be caused by material from a former companion which has been accreted but has yet to settle into the mean orbital plane of the disk.

Equipment

20in RC Optical Systems telescope Operating at f/8.4
Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount
SBIG ST10XME CCD camera with color filter wheel

L R G B color production was used to create this image.

Luminance = 70 minutes binned 1x1
Red = 10 minutes binned 2x2
Green = 10 minutes binned 2x2
Blue = 10 minutes binned 2x2

Two iterations of L-R deconvolution (sharpening) algorithm using CCDsharp was applied to the luminance image.

Digital Development (DDP) via Maxim/DL was also used in order to display the the very dim and very bright details of the image simultaneously.

Minimum credit line: Anne Beiter and Jon Shallop/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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Updated: 05/05/2003