What dynamical feature is observed between the inner dusty area and outer regions of M64?
Answer
Counter-rotation
Advanced observations, particularly those conducted using high-resolution instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope, have revealed a significant anomaly within Messier 64: counter-rotation. This means that the material in the inner regions of the galaxy, specifically including the prominent dark dust lane, rotates in the opposite direction compared to the gas and stars found in the outer regions of the galaxy. This unusual state of motion strongly implies a violent, transformative event in the galaxy's history, such as a past merger or accretion event with a smaller satellite galaxy, which subsequently altered the angular momentum vectors of the various stellar and gaseous components within M64.
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