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| Galaxies M95 and M96 in Leo | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Galaxies M95 and M96 are a pair of spiral galaxies withing the Leo I group of galaxies 38 million light years away. Both were discovered by Pierre Mechain on March 20, 1781, and were added to Charles Messier's famous catalog 4 days later. M95 (left) is a "barred" spiral galaxy, with a bar shape at its core, and discrete spiral arms. M96 (right) is slightly brighter, containing a bright inner disk of old yellow stars, an inner ring of younger blue-white stars, surrounded by a fainter outer ring also dominated by younger stars. This image combined 70 minutes luminance exposures using a clear filter with 45 minutes each of red, green, and blue exposures. An ST10XME camera was used through a TEC 140mm refractor at my new observatory. The noctural serenity at my secluded observatory "fills up my senses" during a "night in the forest" as I image from the "mountains in springtime". |
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| Music: Annie's Song, John Denver | |||||||||||||||||||