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M66 joins the LMI image gallery! M66 (NGC 3627) is a relatively nearby spiral galaxy, located at a distance of 9.8 Mpc (32 million light-years). M66 is a member of the “Leo Triplet” of galaxies, which include M65 and NGC 3628 (Stay tuned for pictures of the other two!). M66 is highly asymmetrical due to gravitational interactions with the other members in the triplet. This image was not photoshopped (or Instagram filtered) in any way. Credit: Massey/Neugent/Lowell Obs./NSF

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#lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #flagstaff #arizona #flagstaffaz #lmi #dct #largemonolithicimager #discoverychanneltelescope #m66 #galaxy #astrophotography #science #space #astronomy

Lowell Observatory astronomer Phil Massey and his graduate student research assistant Kathryn Neugent recently captured this spectacular image of a beautiful spiral galaxy known as M108 using the Discovery Channel Telescope. This image has not been photoshopped in any way; all that has been done is balancing the three colors to provide a close match to what would be seen by eye.

The dark splotches visible in the galaxy are regions of gas and dust silhouetted by the light of stars that lie behind them. Future generations of stars will be born from this material.

Because M108 is 50 million light years away it’s impossible to see individual stars in this galaxy, we see only their collective glow. The stars you see sprinkled across the image are actually in our own Milky Way galaxy. Like raindrops on a windowpane, these stars get in the way when we look out at more distant objects.

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Snow makes it tricky to get to, but beautiful to look at. Thanks to our Deputy Director for Science, Dr. Michael West, for this great photo of the DCT. #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #northernarizona #arizona #happyjack #snow #discoverychanneltelescope #dct #telescope #science #space #astronomy

Picturesque as always, the night sky above Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope last night. Photo thanks to Dr. Joe Llama, one of our astronomers out observing on the DCT.
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Lowell astronomer Joe Llama took this photo last night while observing the night sky with Lowell’s Discovery Channel Telescope. Looks like a great night for viewing! #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #dct #discoverychanneltelescope #telescope #astrophotography #milkyway #arizona #science #space #astronomy #nightsky

M27 a.k.a. the Dumbbell Nebula is a planetary nebula located about 400 pc (1,400 light-years) away. It was the first planetary nebula ever discovered, in 1764. A planetary nebula forms when a star like our sun evolves first to a red giant stage, and sheds material, and evolves to a white dwarf. The central star in this nebula (the white dot directly at the center of the nebula) is the largest white dwarf known. This image was taken with the Large Monolithic Imager (LMI) on Lowell Observatory’s Discovery Channel Telescope.

Image credit: Massey/Neugent/Lowell Obs./NSF

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What a difference a good night of seeing makes! The image on the left was taken by the LMI on the DCT during a night of poor seeing (that’s when the Earth’s atmosphere perturbs what is seen through a telescope). The image on the right was also taken with the LMI on the DCT in late June during better seeing conditions. M95 is a barred spiral galaxy located about 38 million light-years away.
Credit: Massey/Neugent/Lowell Obs./NSF with the assistance of summer students Madeline Beck and Kate Evans

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The finished product! This fresh mirror coating was achieved by putting the clean 14-ft glass in a vacuum chamber and then having vaporized aluminum fall onto it. #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #arizona #dct #discoverychanneltelescope #telescope #mirror #science #space #astronomy #optics #engineering

Now without its aluminum coating, the mirror’s glass needs to be extra clean before it is put in the re-aliminization chamber.
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The DCT’s 4.3-m (about 14 ft) mirror was lifted out of the M1 cell this afternoon. Next the mirror needs to be carefully cleaned in preparation for re-aluminization. #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #arizona #dct #discoverychanneltelescope #telescope #mirror #science #space #astronomy #engineering

And touchdown!
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Slowly….
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M1 is out! Now to lower it down and lay it flat. #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #arizona #dct #telescope #discoverychanneltelescope #science #space #astronomy #engineering

A DCT engineer removes counterweights on Lowell’s DCT. This is just the beginning of the process to access the DCT’s mirror for re-aluminization. #lowellobservatory #lowell #observatory #dct #telescope #happyjack #arizona #science #space #astronomy #engineering #discoverychanneltelescope