M64 lies in the constellation of constellation Coma .  M64 was discovered by Edward Pigott 1779 and just days before Johann Elert Bode found it. A year later it was ‘re-discovered’ and catalogued by Charles Messier .  It is an unusual galaxy in that the inner and outer regions fo the disk appear to be rotating in opposite directions. This may be as a result of a galaxy merger.   The galaxy lies at a distance of approximayely 24Mly. 

M64 Imaged by John Moore – Click to enlarge

Imaged using a C11 on a G11 mount, ST10XME/CFW10/AO8. 

Exposure details: 

• L=13 x 600secs
• R=11 x 180s 2×2
• G=13 x 240s,
• B=10 x 360s

(Total = 4.58hrs)

More of John’s work can be seen on this site and on his personal websites: 

• John Moore’s homepage
• John Moore and Donal McDonnel’s Tenerife website 

M3 is a rich globular cluster comprising over half a million stars and an estimated mass of over 800,000 suns.  At a distance it of 34.1 light years it orbits our own galaxy with a highly elliptical orbit which varies between15,000 ad 50,000 light years from the galactic centre – an orbit with a period of 300 million years.   The cluster contains some young blue stars which, according to classic theories, should not exist in a cluster many thousand million years old.  these stars are called blue stragglers  which are thought to have been created through mergers of older low mass stars. 

M3 can be seen in binoculars but to begin to resolve individual stars requires a telescope of at least four to six inches. 

M3 imaged by John Moore – click to enlarge

NGC5263 can be seen below and to the left of M3.

Imaged using a Pentax 105SDHF on G11 mount, ST10XME+CFW10+AO8.  

Exposure details: (Total=3.82hrs) 

• L=30x180secs
• R=11x180secs 2×2
• G=10x240secs 2×2
• B=11x360secs 2×2

More of John’s work can be seen on this site and on his personal websites: 

• John Moore’s homepage
• John Moore and Donal McDonnel’s Tenerife website 

M82 in the constellation of Ursa major was discovered by Johan Elert Bode in 1780 and observed by Charles messier in 1781.  Located  12 million light-years away it’s an amazing example of a starburst galaxy.  Regions of starburst are revealed beautifully in John’s image.  The strong star formation is caused by a by a ‘recent’ pass of the nearby large spiral galaxy M81.  The numerous new stars that hidden in dust clouds makes M82 the brightest galaxy in our sky in infra-red wavelengths. 

M82 is visible in a small telescope with its nearby neighbour M81 in binoculars and a small telescope.

M82 Imaged by John Moore – click to enlarge

 Imaged using a Celestron C11 at f6.3 on G11 mount, ST10XME with AO8 active optics.  
Exposure: L=12x300s, R=6x300s 2×2, G=6x400s, B=6x600s, Ha=17x900s 1×1, Total = 7.33hrs

NGC 2403 is located approximately 12Mly away.  Evidence that relatively young stars exist in the halo of NGC 2403 hints at a recent merger with another galaxy.

Total exposure 4.8hrs with a Celestron C11

Eskimo Nebula - click to enlarge

 Eskimo Nebula in narrowband. RGB = Ha, O3, S2. Total exposure 2.5hrs with a C11

Imaged under good seeing conditions

Rosette Nebula - click to enlarge

The Rosette Nebula imaged with a Pentax 105SDHF and 0.67 focal reducer. Total of 5hrs narrowband.

M42, The Great Orion Nebula in narrowband. 2.8 hrs of Ha, O3 and S2 with a Pentax 105SDHF. Click to enlarge

Milky Way centre - Imaged by John Moore

The centre of the Milky Way, imaged from Tenerife using a 50mm Pentax camera lens and SBIG ST10XME camera – click to enlarge.

Overlay of Milky Way – click to enlarge.

Cygnus Area imaged in Halpha from Tenerife with a 50mm Pentax camera lens and SBIG ST10XME camera - click to enlarge.

Overlay of Cygnus area – click to enlarge