M63, NGC 5055

M63 is a type Sbc spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. M63, occasionally called the Sunflower Galaxy for no very good reason, is around 10Mpc away and may be part of a loose physical group including M51 and several other smaller galaxies. This composite color image was created from CCD observations made at the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 0.9-meter telescope in May 1998.