Black Eye galaxy facts for kids
The Black Eye Galaxy is also known by many other names, like the Sleeping Beauty Galaxy or Messier 64 (M64). It was first discovered in 1779. This galaxy is not too far from us, about 24 million light years away.
It gets its name, "Black Eye" or "Evil Eye" galaxy, from a striking dark band of dust. This dust sits right in front of its bright center. Many amateur astronomers enjoy looking at M64. You can even see it with a small telescope. It is a spiral galaxy found in the Coma Berenices constellation.
A Galaxy Collision Long Ago
One of the most interesting things about the Black Eye Galaxy is how its gas moves. The gas in the outer parts of M64 spins in the opposite direction compared to the gas and stars closer to its center. The inner part is about 3,000 light-years wide. But the outer part stretches out for another 40,000 light-years! Many new stars are forming where these two areas meet.
How the Opposite Spin Happened
Scientists believe this strange opposite spinning happened a very long time ago. Over a billion years ago, M64 likely crashed into and absorbed another smaller galaxy. When these two galaxies collided, the gas from the smaller galaxy started spinning in the opposite direction.
New Stars Are Born
New stars are now forming in a special area called the "shear region." This is where the gases spinning in opposite directions crash into each other. When they collide, the gases get squeezed and pushed together. This squeezing helps new stars to form.
The images of the Black Eye Galaxy show hot, blue young stars that have just been made. You can also see pink clouds of glowing hydrogen gas. These clouds glow when they are hit by ultraviolet light from the new stars. The small galaxy that crashed into M64 has almost completely disappeared. Its stars are now either part of M64 or have spread out into space. The way the gas moves at the edge of M64 is a lasting sign of this ancient galactic crash.
