M105 · galaxy

Messier 105

Messier 105 or M105, also known as NGC 3379, is an elliptical galaxy 36.6 million light-years away in the equatorial constellation of Leo.

RA10h 47m 49sDec+12° 34' 53"

Image: Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Sarazin et al.. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: M105
All designations: M105 · NGC 3379
Object type: Galaxy
Constellation: Leo
Best viewing: Spring

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 10h 47m 49s
Declination (J2000): +12° 34' 53"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —
Redshift (z): 0.003026

III

Visibility tonight

The science

Messier 105 or M105, also known as NGC 3379, is an elliptical galaxy 36.6 million light-years away in the equatorial constellation of Leo. It is the biggest elliptical galaxy in the Messier catalogue that is not in the Virgo cluster. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, just a few days after he discovered the nearby galaxies Messier 95 and Messier 96. This galaxy is one of a few not object-verified by Messier so omitted in the editions of his Catalogue of his era. It was appended when Helen S. Hogg found a letter by Méchain locating and describing this object which matched those aspects under its first-published name, NGC 3379.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0