M61 (NGC 4303) a barred face-on spiral in the arms of Virgo. Toward 10 o'clock is blue NGC 4301 undergoing a strong burst of star formation. Toward 10 o'clock is the far more sedate NGC 4292, which may have interacted in the past with tiny NGC 4292a, to produce the observed double ring structure.
Aspen CG16M on 20 inch PlaneWave. Full image 36 min arc, north up, 0.55 sec arc/pixel. Lum 5 hrs, RGB 1.5 hrs each, in 30 min subs
Log In: