![]() ![]() Telescopes come in two main types-refractor telescopes and reflector telescopes-and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Generally speaking, it’s best to buy as large an aperture as you can afford however, keep in mind that larger telescopes tend to be heavier and bulkier than smaller ones. That means that the bigger the aperture size, the more light will be collected-and this translates into better image quality and greater magnification power for viewing distant objects in space. ![]() Aperture refers to the diameter of the objective lens or mirror that collects light from distant objects. The aperture size is one of the most important factors in choosing your telescope. Let’s break down the key elements of a good telescope. These days there are lots of options when it comes to purchasing a telescope, so it’s important to know what features you should be looking for before making a purchase. ![]() The night sky has fascinated humans for centuries, and with the right telescope, you can explore galaxies, planets, stars, and more. It is a member of the M51 group of galaxies.Looking for a telescope? You’re not alone. Messier 63 lies between 26 and 29 million light years from Earth and is a substantial galaxy, spanning a Milky Way-like 100,000 light years. Such images show the Sunflower as almost ‘a galaxy within a galaxy’, with tightly wound spiral arms in its aforementioned inner region, surrounded by a much larger outer envelope extending the galaxy to 12’ × 7.6’, where its spiral structure is less coherent and interspersed with numerous dark lanes and pink-red star-forming regions.Ī patient observer looking through a 150mm telescope can tease out some of the chaotic inner structure, though perhaps a 250–300mm (ten- to twelve-inch) will be needed to detect some mottling in the envelope, hinting at Messier 63’s fragmented spiral structure. Well-exposed and processed images show Messier 63 is a classic example of a ‘flocculent spiral’, a galaxy that lacks a coherent large-scale spiral pattern like that of the Whirlpool Galaxy, showing instead many discontinuous spiral arms. It’s apparent as a galaxy through just a small telescope, while viewing with a ‘scope in the 150mm (six-inch) class reveals the Sunflower’s nebulous, oval-shaped inner halo extending to perhaps 3’ × 1.5’ in apparent diameter. Messier 63 shines at magnitude +8.6, bright enough for a pair of 10 x 50 binoculars to show it as a fuzzy patch sweep 1.5 degrees north of the magnitude +4.7 star 20 Canum Venaticorum. The Sunflower is circumpolar (never setting) from UK latitudes, culminating at around 11.15pm at a very advantageous altitude of between 75 and 80 degrees. In early May, the constellation straddles the southern meridian between 10pm and midnight BST. Messier 63 is located virtually dead centre of Canes Venatici, the Hunting Dogs, just over five degree north-east of Cor Caroli (alpha Canum Venaticorum), a fine double star. It lies just over 5° north-east of Cor Caroli (alpha Canum Venaticorum), the well-known double star. Messier 63 is located in the prominent spring constellation of Canes Venatici, the Huntings Dogs. ![]() It’s big and bright enough to be tracked down and observed through a small telescope and is superbly placed high in the sky on May nights. Its cherished Messier designation immediately gives us some clue to its distinction, but it’s only modern-day imaging that fully unveils its grandeur as a very appealing and striking spiral galaxy. Arguably, only the crème de la crème of spring galaxies, such as the nearby Whirlpool and Pinwheel Galaxies (M51 and M101) and Messier 81, are superior. Messier 63 (NGC 5055), the Sunflower Galaxy in Canes Venatici, sits comfortably with its reputation as one of the great galaxies visible in the night sky at springtime. M63, the Sunflower Galaxy, is one of the best galaxies in the late-spring sky. ![]()
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