Galaxy Messier 77 (M77/Arp37) in Cetus
Taken by Tom Wildoner on October 26, 2025 @
Weatherly, PA, USA
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
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Date Taken: 2025:12:21 10:14:51
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Details:
Messier 77 (M77), also known as NGC 1068, is a large barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus, about 45 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the brightest and most massive galaxies in the Messier catalog and is especially famous for its active galactic nucleus, powered by a supermassive black hole at its center. This makes M77 a classic example of a Seyfert galaxy, where the core emits enormous amounts of energy as matter falls into the black hole. While its spiral arms contain regions of active star formation, the energetic core is what makes Messier 77 particularly important to astronomers studying galaxy evolution and black hole activity. This galaxy is also listed in the Arp Catalog as ARP37.
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation: Cetus
Right ascension: 02h 42m 40.771s
Declination: −00° 00′ 47.84″
Distance: 45 Mly
Apparent magnitude (V): 8.9
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90 SCT Telescope, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 162 x 60 seconds, Celestron CGX-L pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in DSS and PixInsight. Image Date: October 26, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Photographer's website:
https://www.thedarksideobservatory.com
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