M88

Click on image for larger version.


 M88 displays a set of tight spiral arms and dust lanes in each. This picture also contains two bright elliptical galaxies- one beneath M88 and another on the right side of the image. A recent supernova (1991) in M88 helped better determine its distance from us. Stars exploding in other galaxies can be used as a "standard candle" since astronomers know their intrinsic brightness (how bright it would appear at a known distance). Then, by measuring the brightness of the supernova, they can estimate its distance by using the properties of light (things appear dimmer the further away they are). M88 is calculated to be 60 million light years away by this method.

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 = 105 minutes binned 1x1
 Red = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Green = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Blue = 20 minutes binned 2x2
  • One iteration 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.

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    Minimum credit line: Jim Quinn/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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    Updated: 04/10/2003