M61 · galaxy

Messier 61

Messier 61 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.

RA12h 21m 54sDec+04° 28' 25"

Image: ESA/Hubble & NASA Acknowledgement: Det58. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: M61
All designations: M61 · NGC 4303
Object type: Galaxy
Constellation: Virgo
Best viewing: Spring

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 12h 21m 54s
Declination (J2000): +04° 28' 25"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —
Redshift (z): 0.005224

III

Visibility tonight

The science

Messier 61 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It was first discovered by Barnaba Oriani on May 5, 1779, six days before Charles Messier discovered the same galaxy. Messier had observed it on the same night as Oriani but had mistaken it for a comet. Its distance has been estimated to be 45.61 million light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. It is a member of the M61 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.

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