M64: The Black Eye Galaxy
Explanation:
This magnificent spiral galaxy is
Messier 64,
often called the Black Eye Galaxy or the
Sleeping
Beauty Galaxy
for its
dark-lidded appearance
in telescopic views.
The spiral's central region,
about 7,400 light-years across, is pictured in this
reprocessed image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
M64 lies some 17 million light-years distant in the
otherwise well-groomed northern constellation
Coma Berenices.
The enormous dust clouds partially obscuring
M64's
central region
are laced with young, blue star clusters and the
reddish glow of hydrogen associated with star forming regions.
But imposing clouds of dust are not this galaxy's only peculiar feature.
Observations show that M64 is actually
composed of two concentric, counter-rotating systems.
While all the stars in M64 rotate in the same direction as the
interstellar gas in the galaxy's central region, gas in the outer
regions, extending to about 40,000 light-years, rotates in
the opposite direction.
The
dusty eye
and bizarre rotation are likely the result of a
billion year old merger of two different galaxies.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
