Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Messier 100

I took this image of M100 shortly after I did the M104 Sombrero picture. Even with twice the number of subs, the atmospheric conditions had already changed for the worst. This image shows it in it's lack of fine detail. It is a stack of 55 thirty second images with the DSI-C shot through my SN-10.

This galaxy is a fairly reliable producer of supernovas (exploding stars). Several have been recorded, with the most recent being SN2006X in 2006. There is one still visible in this photo. It is called SN1979C, and it is visible below and to the left of the nucleus, near the tip of the bright portion of the lower spiral arm. This is a rare type of supernova that is still glowing brightly nearly 30 years after it was discovered, while SN2006X has long faded. However, you cannot see it with your eyes. You would need X-Ray eyes, as it glows mostly in the X-ray spectrum.

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