Sunflower Galaxy

Also known as Messier 63, M63

spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici

AI overview

The Sunflower Galaxy is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici, visible from Earth through telescopes. It's notable as an example of the spiral galaxy structures that astronomers study to understand how galaxies form and evolve.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Distance from Earth: 7
Image: M63s.jpg

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Commons category: Sunflower Galaxy
catalog code: Gaia DR2 1525844581388510208
time of discovery or invention: 1779-06-14
Commons gallery: Messier 63
apparent magnitude: 8.925
galaxy morphological type: SAbc
redshift: 0.001681
right ascension: 198.95530771987460
declination: 42.02936835500470
radial velocity: 503

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Center of the galaxy

Messier 63 or M63, also known as NGC 5055 or the seldom-used Sunflower Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. M63 was first discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain, then later verified by his colleague Charles Messier on 14 June 1779. The galaxy became listed as object 63 in the Messier Catalogue. In the mid-19th century, Anglo-Irish astronomer Lord Rosse identified spiral structures within the galaxy, making this one of the first galaxies in which such structure was identified.