M96

980329: M96 in a 25 minute exposure at f11 with 27 micron pixels. A supernova in M96 is shown in the image below. M96's distance is estimated at 38 million light years. To me it appears that this object is nearly a barred spiral.

980521:M96 and supernova SN 1998bu in a 5 minute Track and Accumulate image (could not get tracker to work on the same star I guided the above images with -- maybe the haze was effecting it.) This supernova was discovered May 9, 1998 (SN 1998bu, IAUC6899), is just north (right) of the central core.