Sunflower Galaxy
Messier 63 (M63) (Sunflower) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venetic, the Hunting Dogs. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 8.5 and is approximately 29.5 million light-years distant from the Sun. Also cataloged as NGC 5055, Messier 63 is around 100,000 light-years across, about the size of our Milky Way Galaxy. Discovered by French astronomer Pierre Mechain in June 1779, the galaxy later made it as the 63rd entry into Charles Messier’s famous catalogue, published in 1781.It is a member of the M51 Group – a group of galaxies, named after its brightest member, Messier 51 (Whirlpool Galaxy).The galaxy has faint, extended features that could be the result of gravitational interactions with nearby galaxies. It shines across the electromagnetic spectrum and is thought to have undergone bursts of intense …show more content…
About 30 percent of known spiral galaxies are flocculent. Only 10 percent are grand design spirals, and the remaining majority are multi-armed. The best time to observe the Sunflower Galaxy from northern latitudes is in March, April, and May. Even though the constellation Canes Venatici is a relatively faint one, M63 is not difficult to find. It can be located using the stars of the nearby Big Dipper. The galaxy lies about two thirds of the way from Alkaid, the star marking the tip of the Dipper’s handle, to Cor Caroli, the brightest star in Canes Venatici. M63 lies some 14 degrees to the southwest of Alkaid. The Sunflower Galaxy is not an easy object to view in binoculars. In a 3.1-inch refractor, it can be identified as a galaxy, but the details and spiral arms aren’t visible. A 6-inch telescope reveals the galaxy’s bright core and an oval patch of nebulosity around it. The spiral structure is only visible in 8-inch telescopes or larger