What is up with the weather – we’ve had cloud cover almost continuously for weeks now! It has been keeping Dave from getting to do very much observing of the “sky”. This is one of his May 2010 photos. He takes them on extremely long exposure and stacks them in order to create a single image. Below is a quick description of what is in this particular photo. Photo by Dave Chaton.
To the eye, M65′s disk appears slightly warped, and its relatively recent burst of star formation is also suggestive of some external disturbance. Rots (1978) suggests that the two other galaxies in the Leo Triplet interacted with each other about 800 million years ago. Recent research by Zhiyu Duan suggests that M65 may also have interacted, though much less strongly. He also notes that M65 may have a central bar — it is difficult to tell because the galaxy is seen from an oblique angle — a feature which is suggestive of tidal disruption.
So is it cloudier than usual this year? This is our first spring here, so we don’t really know what’s normal. I bought my hubby a star chart and binocs for Christmas, and we’re still waiting on a clear mild night!
Yes, more clouds coming in now from the north too! (10 p.m. on Monday eve)