M64 - Black Eye Galaxy in Coma Berenices

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Scope: C8  f/7.5, Location: Blair Valley, Anza Borrego Desert, CA, 26 April, 2008  Camera: Artemis285

Exposure: 10 x 7 minutes Luminance exposures with IR block (1x1 bin), 7 x 2 minutes RGB exposures (2x2 bin).

Processing: Images were captured Artemis Capture (as FITs). Aligned/stacked and dark subtracted in Astroart with Sigma Combine. Luminance and Color channels were scaled and rough color balanced in Astroart.  Channels were co-registered in Astroart. The 7 minute IR block exposures were used for the main luminance construction with level adjustments and curves to bring out object features. LRGB combine was done in Photoshop. G2V  factors applied to color channels. Selective sharpening (with mask) was used to enhance galaxy features. A light noise reduction was applied with PixInsight LE SGBNR.  Final touches were done in Photoshop.  Final Image size is approximately 1392x1040

North is up in this image. M64 is an interesting galaxy first for its distinctive inner disk dust lane which is responsible for its common name - The Black Eye Galaxy. This inner disk is new star formation from in fall of material from the outer disk. Inner and outer disks rotate in opposite directions. M64 is in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It is estimated at 19 million light years from Earth - with some observers putting the distance significantly different.  This image replaces an earlier image in the Archives here.  Horizontal FOV is 20'

Image center is approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 12h 56m 44s Dec: +21°41'05"

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2012

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