Vermont-based astrophotographer Michele Hernandez Bayliss captured detailed images of the M94, also known as the Crocodile Eye galaxy, and the M51, or Whirlpool Galaxy, in April 2025. These galaxies, located in the constellation Canes Venatici, showcase stunning cosmic details.
Capturing the Crocodile Eye Galaxy
Hernandez Bayliss captured the Croc's Eye galaxy over the nights of April 20 and 21, 2025, using a Takahashi TOA-130NFB Refractor and a Stellarvue SVX140T-R telescope. She spent 20 hours capturing M94 using luminance, red, green, and blue (LRGB) filters, which she then combined using computer software to create a detailed view of the spiral galaxy located 15 million light-years away.
Whirlpool Galaxy Details
In February 2025, Hernandez Bayliss focused on the Whirlpool Galaxy, using RGB and hydrogen-alpha (Ha) filters to capture the fine structural details of M51. It took a total of 16 hours to capture the data, which she then compiled into a colorful portrait. The image captures the galaxy's bright central core, dark dust lanes, and intense star-forming regions. The Whirlpool Galaxy is located approximately 34 million light-years from Earth.
Hernandez Bayliss built a backyard observatory at her home in Weybridge, Vermont, over the past two years. She was a long-time visual astronomer before recently taking up astrophotography.