M61 - Barred Spiral Galaxy - Deep Sky Videos

Professor Mike Merrifield discusses star formation in Messier 61 - also known as NGC 4303.
More links and info in full description ↓↓↓

Supported by the University of Nottingham

Video by Brady Haran and James Hennessy

[cmeluzzi]

This series is also great for those like me (not astrophysicists) who do simple observations or astrophotography. It is amazing to learn more about the objects of this famous catalogue. Strange as it may seem, it is not easy to find qualitative information about them on the Internet. So, thank you so much for these videos!

[agathor]

Molecular hydrogen doesnt form a dipole so it is not IR active. Carbon monoxide however does have a dipole so it is IR active. This is why hydrogen is hard to detect.

[rhoddryice]

Edging closer to cover the full catalogue. Four more, makes me wonder what will be beyond.

[denispol]

One of my favorite hard targets.
It's a bit small for amateur astronomy, but with a big enough telescope, it's a beauty.
Also, there are always lots of minor planets in M61 field, as a bonus.

[PaulaBean]

What a rollercoaster. M61 is some hardcore astrophysicism (did I spell that correctly?)

[francoislacombe]

I like to think that M61 looks a lot like the Milky Way would if we could look at it from a similar vantage point.

[johnh]

Thank you.
No one had ever explained to me that Galaxy "Bar's" are virtually empty of stars.

[justsaying]

Why are the crabon graphs so blockie?...why didn't they look for more detail? 5:07

[dahemac]

I got a bit excited when I saw a Nelson Physics text I probably worked on on Professor Merrifield’s shelf.

[avt_astro]

Always Love Watching These Videos. Loved The session on M61. Beautiful Galaxy!

[StrangerThanFic]

Excellent video -- but I couldn't stop looking at the "Atlas of Creation" book perched so precariously at the left end of the bookshelf behind Dr. Merrifield. I keep expecting it to topple off the shelf at any moment! Who knew an astronomy video would have so much dramatic tension!

[jhonbus]

Great bit of science here, lots of deductive reasoning going on!

[fredjohnson]

It's a shame that we can observe such beautiful objects throughout the universe but no matter how advanced mankind becomes we shall never be able to visit anything we can see, we're imprisoned on this rock and there's probably a good reason for this.

[druid]

Is there something very special that the JWT will look at first?
Thanks for the vlogs. 8)

[JackFate]

Only 4 more to go, if my count is right.
This whole Messier-Series is amazing.

[deant]

Fantastic images of the galaxy thanks for sharing 🤘🇦🇺🌌

[unvergebeneid]

If CO is so optically thick, aren't we kind of lucky that we can observe it in other galaxies at all? Meaning the gas around us is not dense enough to prevent us from even looking through it?

[PaulPaulPaulson]

Not many Messier objects left. I think I counted 4.

[denisroym]

How many Messier are left now? We should be nearing the end!

[deltalima]

Say, that guy asking questions sounds just like Brady