M64, commonly known as the Black Eye Galaxy, is a striking spiral galaxy located approximately 17 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It earns its evocative nickname from the prominent dark dust lane that obscures part of its bright nucleus, creating the appearance of a cosmic black eye. This galaxy is particularly notable for its unusual internal dynamics, with the outer regions rotating in the opposite direction to the inner regions, suggesting a past galactic merger or interaction.

The Black Eye Galaxy is a site of active star formation, particularly in the regions around the dark dust lane. Observations reveal a rich mix of young, hot stars and older stellar populations, providing valuable insights into the processes of galactic evolution and star formation. The contrasting regions of darkness and light within M64 make it a visually captivating and scientifically intriguing object for both amateur and professional astronomers.

17 million light years from us, in the Constellation of the Chioma of Berenice we find a bright and beautiful galaxy marked by the initials M64.
It is also called "Black Eye Galaxy" due to a vast area of dark dust that covers part of the central area.
The latest studies have shown that the peripheral part of the Galaxy rotates in the opposite direction of the nucleus, probably due to an "ancient" clash with a smaller galaxy captured by M64. This clash would have started to rotate the outer part of the galaxy in the opposite direction to the nucleus. These two areas that rotate in the opposite direction collide forming compressed "gas pockets" creating regions with an extremely intense star formation.

Imaging telescope or lens:Geoptik Formula 20 - Newton 200/1200
Imaging camera:Nikon D5100 full Spectrum Modded
Mount:Sky-Watcher EQ6 SynTrek
Guiding telescope or lens:Sky-Watcher 80/400 f5 acro
Guiding camera:QHYCCD5L-II-M
Filter:Optolong UV/IR Cut
Accessories:Explore Scientific HRCC Coma Corrector , Selfmade Peltier CoolingBox
Dates:15 Mar 2020 , 16 Mar 2020
Frames:
Optolong UV/IR Cut: 58x300" ISO200 -5C
Optolong UV/IR Cut: 39x600" ISO200 -5C
Integration: 11.3 hours