M61, AlBroxton

M61

M61, AlBroxton

M61

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Description

Messier 61 (also known as M61 or NGC 4303) is a spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster. It was discovered by Barnabus Oriani on May 5, 1779. M61 is one of the larger members of the Virgo Cluster. Six supernovae have been observed in this galaxy. The arm pattern in NGC 4303 begins at the center as two thin dust lanes that wind outward through the disk, meeting the two principal luminous arms of the grand design type at the edge of the bright part of the disk. One of the principal arms is bent into two straight sections that meet at a sharp angle. Located in the constellation of Virgo, amidst the cluster of galaxies know as the Virgo cluster, is a spiral galaxy known as M61. This is one of the larger galaxies in the cluster, measuring in at about 100,000 light-years in diameter. It is estimated to be located some 60 million light-years from Earth. Messier originally mistook this object for a comet. This galaxy's low luminosity, about magnitude 10, makes it appear as nothing more than a fuzzy spot in small optic instruments. A large telescope and good sky conditions are needed to see any amount of detail.

Observation Notes : (M 61) is bright, large, irregularly round, much brighter in the middle and has a distinct nucleus using powers from 135X to 200X. The arms are mottled and in moments of good seeing some spiral structure can be seen. This observation was made in the central mountains of Arizona on a night I rated 7/10 for seeing and 8/10 for contrast. 4301 is a companion and is very faint, small, round and not brighter in the middle. Averted vision helps pick out this dim galaxy.





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Revisions

  • M61, AlBroxton
    Original
  • M61, AlBroxton
    B
  • Final
    M61, AlBroxton
    C

Histogram

M61, AlBroxton

In these collections

Allen Broxton
Galaxies