Black Eye Galaxy M64: NASA's Hubble and Webb Reveal Stunning New Composite Image

A New View of the Black Eye Galaxy

On June 12, 2026, NASA released a breathtaking new composite image of Messier 64 — better known as the Black Eye Galaxy — created by combining data from two of humanity's most powerful space observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. The image, captured on March 20, 2026, showcases the galaxy at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths from Webb, while Hubble contributes ultraviolet, visible, and additional near-infrared light. The result is a multi-wavelength portrait that reveals details invisible to any single observatory.

The Black Eye Galaxy, located approximately 17 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices, is one of the most recognizable galaxies in the northern sky thanks to the dramatic band of dark dust that partially obscures its bright core — giving it the appearance of a "black eye" when viewed through moderate-sized telescopes. First catalogued by Charles Messier in 1779, M64 has fascinated astronomers for centuries, but it is only with the combined power of Hubble and Webb that we can fully appreciate the complexity of this striking spiral galaxy.

The image was processed by Gladys Kober at NASA's Catholic University of America, using data from the PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby Galaxies) survey — a major international collaboration that uses Hubble, Webb, ALMA, and the Very Large Telescope to study star formation across the local universe.

What Makes the Black Eye Galaxy Unique?

At first glance, M64 appears to be a relatively typical spiral galaxy — a bright, yellowish core surrounded by swirling arms peppered with blue star clusters and pink emission nebulae. But the Black Eye Galaxy harbours a secret that sets it apart from almost every other known spiral: the gas in its outer regions rotates in the opposite direction from the gas and stars in its inner regions.

This counter-rotation is the signature of a dramatic past. Astronomers believe that M64 merged with a smaller satellite galaxy over one billion years ago. The merger stripped the smaller galaxy of its gas, which then fell into an opposing orbit around M64's core. Today, the inner region — extending about 3,000 light-years from the centre — rotates in one direction, while the outer gas disk, reaching more than 40,000 light-years out, rotates in the opposite direction. Where these two opposing flows collide, a ring of intense star formation occurs, visible as bright blue knots and pink nebula patches in the new Hubble and Webb image.

The galaxy's distinctive "black eye" — the prominent dust lane that crosses the northern side of the core — is the visual manifestation of this turbulent history. The dust absorbs the light from the galaxy's bright centre, creating the dark silhouette that gives M64 its common name. In the new composite image, Webb's infrared vision peers through this dust to reveal the warm glow of the galaxy's core and previously hidden star clusters embedded within the dust itself.

The Counter-Rotating Gas Mystery

The counter-rotation of M64's gas was first discovered in the early 1990s through spectroscopic observations that measured the Doppler shift of the galaxy's emission lines. These measurements revealed the astonishing fact that the gas on one side of the galaxy was moving in the wrong direction relative to the stars. Subsequent observations with radio telescopes traced the full extent of the counter-rotating gas disk, showing that it extends far beyond the visible boundaries of the galaxy.

The leading hypothesis is that M64 cannibalized a gas-rich dwarf satellite galaxy approximately 1–2 billion years ago. The satellite's stars were dispersed into a diffuse halo — too faint to see directly — while its gas settled into a retrograde orbit around the much larger M64. The collision of gas moving in opposite directions compresses the interstellar medium, triggering the formation of new stars at the interface. This ongoing collision front is exactly the region that Hubble and Webb are now imaging in extraordinary detail.

How the Hubble–Webb Composite Was Created

Creating a multi-wavelength composite image from two different space telescopes is a complex process that requires careful calibration and alignment. The new M64 image combines data from three of Hubble's instruments (WFC3, ACS, and STIS) covering ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths, with data from Webb's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) extending the view into the thermal infrared.

Each wavelength range reveals different features of the galaxy. Ultraviolet light traces the hottest, youngest stars — massive blue giants that burn fiercely and die young. Visible light shows the combined glow of billions of stars, the pink emission nebulae where new stars are being born, and the dark dust lanes that absorb starlight. Near-infrared penetrates the dust to reveal older, cooler stars that are invisible at shorter wavelengths. Mid-infrared detects the warm glow of dust particles themselves, heated by nearby stars, and reveals the coldest, most deeply embedded star-forming regions.

The composite was processed as part of the PHANGS survey, which is systematically imaging nearby galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum to build a complete picture of how stars form, evolve, and interact with their galactic environments. PHANGS observations with Webb were allocated through General Observer programmes 2107 and 2652 (PI: Janice Lee, Space Telescope Science Institute).

What the New Image Reveals

The combined Hubble and Webb image of M64 reveals details that have never been seen in this galaxy before:

• Embedded star clusters: Webb's infrared vision penetrates the dark dust band to reveal dozens of compact star clusters that are completely invisible in visible-light images. These clusters are among the youngest in the galaxy, many less than 5 million years old — mere infants by astronomical standards.
• Filamentary dust structure: The infamous "black eye" is not a uniform dust cloud but a complex network of filaments and knots, tracing the gravitational turbulence at the interface between the counter-rotating gas flows.
• Shock-heated molecular gas: MIRI's mid-infrared data shows emission from warm molecular hydrogen — gas that has been heated by shocks where the opposing gas streams collide. This is direct evidence of the ongoing collision that drives star formation in the galaxy.
• Extended outer disk: The deep ultraviolet exposures from Hubble reveal a population of young, massive stars far beyond the visible disk of the galaxy, tracing the full extent of the counter-rotating gas layer.

Observing M64 Through a Telescope

The Black Eye Galaxy is a popular target for amateur astronomers. At magnitude 8.5, it is visible through binoculars under dark skies as a faint, oval patch, but the dark "black eye" feature requires at least a 114mm (4.5-inch) telescope at 100× magnification or more under good conditions to be convincingly seen.

M64 is located in the constellation Coma Berenices, which is best placed for evening observation from March through July in the northern hemisphere. To find it, locate the bright star Arcturus in Boötes (the kite-shaped constellation) and move about 6 degrees directly east. The galaxy lies roughly halfway between Arcturus and the bright star Denebola in Leo. A finder chart or a smartphone astronomy app like Stellarium or SkySafari will help pinpoint its exact location.

Through a 150mm (6-inch) telescope under suburban skies, M64 appears as a bright, oval glow with a noticeably brighter centre. The dark dust lane — the "black eye" — becomes visible as a slight indentation or dark notch on one side of the core. An 200mm (8-inch) telescope at a dark-sky site reveals the dust lane clearly. Through 250mm (10-inch) and larger instruments, the black eye is unmistakable: a dramatic, dark wedge cutting into the bright galactic core, framed by the softer glow of the outer disk.

For those interested in astrophotography, M64 is a rewarding target for a moderate-aperture telescope with a camera. At 17 million light-years, it is relatively large on the sky (about 8 by 3 arcminutes) and responds well to 30–60 second exposures with a star tracker or equatorial mount. The galaxy's high surface brightness makes it one of the easier Messier galaxies to image successfully with modest equipment. For imaging guidance, see our astrophotography for beginners guide and our deep-sky telescope recommendations.

Scientific Significance and the PHANGS Survey

This new image of M64 is part of the PHANGS survey, one of the most ambitious observational programmes in extragalactic astronomy. PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby Galaxies) is systematically imaging approximately 90 nearby galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum, combining data from Hubble, Webb, ALMA (the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), and the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The goal is to understand the full life cycle of star formation — from cold molecular gas clouds, through the collapse and ignition of protostars, to the dispersal of gas by stellar feedback.

M64 is a particularly valuable target for PHANGS because its counter-rotating gas provides a natural laboratory for studying what happens when gas flows collide. The collision front in M64 is essentially an accelerated version of the processes that occur in more subtle forms throughout spiral galaxies — spiral density waves, galactic bars, and interactions with neighbours all compress gas and trigger star formation. By studying M64, astronomers can test their models of star formation under extreme conditions that are nevertheless observable in detail at 17 million light-years.

The PHANGS collaboration includes researchers from more than 30 institutions worldwide, including the European Southern Observatory, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, and The Ohio State University. The survey's data products are publicly available, enabling astronomers around the world to conduct their own research on these nearby galaxies.

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Sources & References

This article is based on original reporting from primary sources. The primary image and scientific details were sourced from NASA's official release.

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  NASA: Black Eye Galaxy — Hubble and Webb Composite Image

  NASA official image release, June 12, 2026. Image credit: NASA, CSA, ESA, F. Belfiore, J. Lee, A. Leroy, D. Thilker; Processing: Gladys Kober.

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  Webb Space Telescope: PHANGS Survey Overview

  Additional context on the PHANGS survey and multi-wavelength imaging of nearby galaxies.

All data and imagery used under NASA's media usage guidelines. Telescope Advisor editorial team independently verified factual details against NASA primary sources before publication.