Sunflower Galaxy in LHaRGB (Canes Venatici) , May 2023
Planewave CDK12.5" telecope and A-P 1100GTO AE mount
ASI6200MM Camera, Antlia Pro BB & 3nm Ha Filters
Lum (66 x 200s exposures, Bin 2x2, Gain 100)
RGB (3 x 28 x 240s exposures, Bin 2x2 Gain 100)
Ha (22 x 400s exposures, Bin 2x2, Gain200)
Total Integration Time = 11.7 hours
M63 is a class of galaxy termed a "flocculent", which is a fancy way of saying clumpy. The stars in the galaxy (that appear as an "atmosphere" at this distance), appear as clumps, separated by dust not only between spirals, but within the spirals as well. The sunflower galaxy is also in a class, termed "SAbc", because it has no central bar, like the Milky Way does. The combination of the two result in a galaxy the looks like its namesake. The spirals do exist, and are more clear presented in infrared images.
The Galaxy also appears as if it is in a cloud, and this cloud actually obscures the core and as a result we do not know what lies at the core, a massive black hole, or a dense star cluster. The star cloud around the galaxy is somewhat warped and some blame interaction with the dwarf UGC 8313 in the lower left.
To me, it appears to me as if there is a foreground dust cloud that creates "scratches" across the upper part of the galaxy and also an apparent reflection from an obviously much closer star. I have no idea if these are really part of the galaxy itself.
Originally I had decided to spend some extra time on this target because I like it so much. However, early in my imaging I noticed some difficulty using autofocus. It is now clear to me that my CDK telescope is out of collimation. This has resulted in chromatic abberation and elliptical shape to the stars - they just look sloppy. I failed at turning the sow's ear into the silk purse that I wanted.