by Rod Pommier
M63 is a class Sb spiral galaxy whose appearance resembles that of a sunflower. It lies 35 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici. It appears to be a member of the same galaxy group that includes M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, which lies 6 degrees north of M63, and a few smaller galaxies.
Telescope: Celestron Compustar C14 at f/7
Location: Pommier Observatory, Portland, Oregon
Camera: Canon 20D, unmodified
Date/Time: 06/25/2009, 6:12 UT
Exposures: 268x30 seconds=2:14 min at ISO 1600, calibrated with dark, bias and flat frames.