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Galaxy Messier 63 Sunflower Galaxy

Object :	M63 (NGC 5055)
Coordinates/Direction :	RA: 13h15m, DEC: +42o01'
Object size :	12' x 7'
Apparent magnitude :	9.3
Distance :	29.3 Mly
No solar mass :	4e12
Type :	SA
Discovered by :	Pierre Mechain, year 1779
Find in constellation :	Canes Venatici
More to know :	Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Messier 63

M63, 2026-02-14, crop (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2026-02-14
Time (UT) :	21:13 to 00:05

Exp. time :	62x120 seconds, iso400, every 3rd dithered
Image process tool :	Siril, GraXpert, VeraLux, Gimp, Irfanview
Processing :	flat, drizzle x1, dark subtraction, stretch
Weather :	Moon Phase 8%, Temperature -11o C, rel Humidity 63%

Comment :

Siril got a new Drizzle function, with that I replace Debayer with interpolation with Dizzle. First image of M63 with the Nikon D800 camera. Dithering is a must when using this technique.

M63, 2020-03-16, crop (click on the image to get a full resolution photo in a new window)

Date :	2020-03-16
Time (UT) :	20:41 to 22:16

Exp. time :	72x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	demosaic, no cal dark&bias, only dithering median stacking, synthetic flat cal, crop, level, gamma
Weather :	clear with some drifting clouds

Comment :

This series of photos I started earlier relative what I normally do. At this time of the year it isn't dark enough until one hour later. If you look closer to the full resolution image you can see a lot of stains left from the cleaning, this time I didn't do anything to reduce them. Maybe look terrible but much better than normal.

M63, 2019-01-19

Date :	2019-01-19
Time (UT) :	23:21 to 01:26

Exp. time :	127x30 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	demosaic, no cal dark&bias, only dithering median stacking, flat cal, crop, level, gamma
Weather :	clear

Comment :

M63 is a galaxy discovered 1779 by the French astronomer Pierre Mechain.

M63, Zoom in

Date :	2019-01-19
Comment :	A close up into the galaxy. It needs a lot of more exposure, many hours.

Exp. time :	72x60 seconds, iso1600, dithering mode
Image process tool :	AstroImageJ, Fitswork, Irfanview
Processing :	demosaic, no cal dark&bias, only dithering median stacking, synthetic flat cal, crop, level, gamma
Weather :	clear with some drifting clouds

Comment :

This series of photos I started earlier relative what I normally do. At this time of the year it isn't dark enough until one hour later. If you look clos to the full resolution image you see a lot of stains left from the cleaning, this time I didn't do anything to reduce them. Maybe look terrible but much better than normal.

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