Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Leo (Leo)  ·  Contains:  M 95  ·  NGC 3351
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M95, Wei-Hao Wang
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M95

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M95, Wei-Hao Wang
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M95

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Description

This is meant to be a part of a set image for the M95/M96 galaxy group. The image for M96 is here.  The images for the two galaxies are composed of similar amount of exposures and are processed similarly.  Both are LHaRGB compositions.

Previously when I imaged the two galaxies with smaller telescopes, I got the impression that the two sister galaxies are just copies of each others. They have similar sizes, brightness, and shapes (both with double rings plus a central bar).  They both look like a Θ.  However, after I imaged them with the 20" scope under <1.5" seeing, I no longer feel they are similar.

The slightly smaller one of the two, M95, has a clear bar at the center, and has spiral filaments of dust lanes across the entire disk. Star-forming regions (the red H-alpha dots) also spread over the disk, and mainly follow the spirals. Clearly this galaxy has a structure driven by the central bar and the spiral density wave propagating through the disk. At the center of its bar, there is a mini spiral and a nuclear star-forming ring. What appears to be an outer ring is actually two tightly wounded spiral arms. In short, this is a spectacular spiral galaxy without a strong sign of interaction and perturbation by another galaxy.

M96, the larger one of the two, on the other hand, is clearly undergoing galaxy interaction. It has a large/bright central disk with spiral dust lanes on it. I am not sure if it has a bar at all. The outer ring is either a ring or a one-arm spiral. Such a structure is usually induced by flying-by of a satellite galaxy. And indeed, there is a compact elliptical (PGC83335) at the lower-right edge of the ring and it shows signs of interaction with M96. The ring and the central disk contain most of the dust and star-forming regions, and it is quite empty between them (you can easily see through it and find a handful of background galaxies).

I hope you enjoy the images.

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