Here are my latest deep space objects.
First up, the Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4438 and 4435)
NGC 4438 is a striking, highly distorted galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, located about 52 million light‑years from Earth and forming the larger half of the interacting pair known as The Eyes. Once likely a spiral galaxy, NGC 4438 has been dramatically reshaped by gravitational encounters with nearby galaxies, including its close companion NGC 4435. These interactions have stretched its disk into long tidal tails, disrupted its structure, and stripped much of its gas, leaving behind a chaotic yet beautiful form that vividly illustrates the powerful effects of galactic collisions in a dense cluster environment.
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| The Eyes Galaxies EdgeHD11/ASI2600 - April 8-10, 2026 LRGB - 6hr 21m integration time |
This is a slightly cropped version of the original FOV. I had some issues with my Lum flats not correcting the large donut rings along the bottom and left edges. Cropping the image eliminated them (mostly). This is the third time I’ve had issues with the Lum flats. Need to investigate.
Next, M64 (the Black Eye Galaxy)
Messier 64, better known as the Black Eye Galaxy, is a striking spiral galaxy located about 17 million light‑years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. Its nickname comes from the dramatic, dark band of interstellar dust that cuts across its bright central bulge, giving the appearance of a shadowed or “bruised” eye. This dense dust lane absorbs starlight from the core, creating one of the most distinctive faces in the nearby universe.
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| M64 - the Black Eye Galaxy EdgeHD11/ASI2600 - April 12, 2026 LRGB - 6hr 24m integration time |
The galaxy contains counter‑rotating inner and outer regions, where gas in the outskirt's spins in the opposite direction from the stars and gas near the core—likely the aftermath of a past merger with a smaller galaxy. Where these opposing flows interact, gas clouds are compressed, triggering new bursts of star formation that add subtle color and texture to long‑exposure images.
Zooming in on the image you can see many more distant galaxies scattered throughout the field.
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