SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Jon Greif
Location of Photo:
La Jolla, CA, USA
Date/Time of photo:
June 14, 2022, at 11:00 pm PDT
Equipment:
Takahashi FSQ-85ED with 1.01 Flattener, ZWO ASI533MC Pro imaging camera, Optolong L-Pro filter, ZWO 30 mm guide scope, ZWO ASI290MM mini guide camera, Rainbow Astro RST-135 mount, ZWO ASIAIR Plus controller and capture software, and Pixinsight 1.8.9 processing software on a Macbook Pro.
Description:
Characterized by a band of absorbing dust partially obscuring its bright nucleus, M64, or the Black Eye galaxy, is also notable for its bizarre internal motion. The gases in the outer regions of this remarkable galaxy rotate in the opposite direction from the gases and stars in its inner regions. This strange behavior is attributed to a merger between M64 and a satellite galaxy over a billion years ago. New stars are forming in the region where the oppositely rotating gases collide, are compressed, and then contract. M64 was discovered by the English astronomer Edward Pigott. It is located 17 million light-years from Earth in the Northern constellation Coma Berenices and is best observed in late Spring. This image was taken last night in a very narrow window of just 65 minutes, before the clouds moved in and against the very bright full Supermoon.
