m64

	M64

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	RA: 12:56.7 Dec: +21:41 Magnitude: 8.5 Size: 9.3 x 5.4 arc min Distance: 19,000,000 ly Constellation: Coma Berenices	Scope: 8" SCT at f/10 Autoguider: ST-4 faint mode Sky conditions: Good seeing and transparency. Camera: Hap Griffin Modified Canon XSi @ 800 Exposure: 6 x 10 minutes Date: March 17, 2010
	Comments: The night were clear and somewhat cold with a low in the lower 30s. M64 is the famous Black Eye Galaxy. The conspicuous dark structure is a prominent dust feature obscuring the stars behind. The dust feature is well visible in smaller telescopes. M64 was recently shown to have two counterrotating systems of stars and gas in its disk. The inner part of about 3,000 light years radius is rubbing along the inner edge of the outer disk, which rotates opposite and extends up to at least 40,000 light years, at about 300 km/sec. The galaxy was discovered by Edward Pigott on March 23, 1779.