This image shows the bright grand-design spiral galaxy M100 in the Virgo Cluster of Galaxies, although it is actually not located in Virgo, but in the neighboring constellation Coma Berenices. Seen nearly face-on, the spiral arms of this galaxy show conspicuous clouds of blue (hot, young) stars. Also visible in this image are two well-defined and one very faint dwarf galaxies; the photographer was successful in catching these faint objects, while still avoiding to saturate the inner regions of M100.
This image was taken with the KPNO 0.9-meter telescope on the night of
December 20th 2002 UT.
Credit line: N.A.Sharp/NOAO/AURA/NSF
CCD image of M100, from Greg Bothun's Messier Object Image Collection
European Southern Observatory image of M100, obtained with their VLT MELIPAL and VIMOS (VIsible Multi-Object Spectrograph).
Last Modification: June 20, 2006