Al Bustan 
Observatory

 

Home
Up
Sun
Moon
Mercury
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
IC5146 - Cocoon
M5 - NGC5904
M8 - Lagoon Nebula
M15
M16 - Eagle Nebula
M17_Swan
M20 - Trifid
M27 - Dumbbell
M31 - Andromeda
M33 - Pinwheel
M42 - Orion
M45 - The Pleiades
M51 - Whirlpool
M57 - Ring
M63 - Sunflower
M64 - Black-Eye
M65 - NGC3623
M67 - NGC2682
M98 - NGC4192
M99 - Pinwheel
M100 - NGC4321
M101 - NGC5457
M104 - Sombrero
M105 - NGC3379
M106 - NGC4258
C/2004 Q2 - Machholz
NGC 891
NGC2024 - Flame
NGC2244 - Rosette
NGC6960 - Veil
The Mice - NGC4676

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                  

Sunflower Galaxy

 

Discovered 1779 by Pierre Méchain.

M63 was the very first discovery of a Deep Sky object by Messier's friend, Pierre Méchain, who caught it up on June 14, 1779. On the same day, Charles Messier included it in his catalog.

The Sunflower galaxy M63 is one of the early recognized spiral galaxies, listed by Lord Rosse as one of 14 "spiral nebulae" discovered to 1850. It has been classified as of Hubble type Sb or Sc, displaying a patchy spiral pattern which can be traced well to the periphery of its only 6 arc seconds small smooth-textured central region.

Although 6 degrees south, it apparently forms a physical group with M51 and several smaller galaxies, the M51 group, which is about 37 million light years distant.

The visual appearance resembles the photo: The spiral arms show up as a grainy background, which brightens slowly from outward and then rapidly to the nuclear region, which is still grainy. Star forming regions can be traced all along the spiral arms on color photos.

Type I supernova 1971I occured on May 25, 1971, and reached mag 11.8.

 

  • Historical Observations and Descriptions of M63
  • More images of M63
  • Amateur images of M63

     

  • SIMBAD Data of M63
  • NED Data of M63
  • Publications on M63 (NASA ADS)
  • Observing Reports for M63 (IAAC Netastrocatalog)
  • NGC Online data for M63
     
  •  

     

    Observer´s Log

    Spiral Galaxy
    Sunflower Galaxy
    M63
    NGC5055
    Dreyer description: Very bright, large, westward moderately extended 120° +/-, very abruptly much brighter middle bright nucleus; = M63.
    Other ID: UGC8334
    Other ID: MCG7-27-54
    Other ID: MESS63
    Other ID: PGC46153
    Magnitude: 9.6
    RA: 13h 15m 59.1s Dec: +42°01'13"
    RA: 13h 15m 49.3s Dec: +42°02'06" (Epoch 2000)
    Size:12.6' x 7.2'
     

     

     

     

     
       

     

     

    Home Observatory Equipment Astrophoto Gallery Latest Photos Technical Issues Links Feedback

    This site was last updated 2006-12-12                                                                                                          Site created and maintained by Jorge Lázaro