Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Virgo (Vir)  ·  Contains:  M 61  ·  NGC 4255  ·  NGC 4292  ·  NGC 4301  ·  NGC 4303
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M61 and friends, Roberto Sartori
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M61 and friends

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M61 and friends, Roberto Sartori
Powered byPixInsight

M61 and friends

Acquisition type: Electronically-Assisted Astronomy (EAA, e.g. based on a live video feed)

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Description

M61 galaxy and surroundings.

[from Wikipedia]

M61 has a visual magnitude of 9.7, itis one of the largest members of Virgo Cluster, and belongs to a smaller subgroup known as the S Cloud. The morphological classification of SAB(rs)bc indicates a weakly-barred spiral with the suggestion of a ring structure and moderate to loosely wound spiral arms. It has an active galactic nucleus and is classified as a starburst galaxy containing a massive nuclear star cluster with an estimated mass of 105 solar masses and an age of 4 million years, as well as a central candidate supermassive black hole weighing around 5×106 M☉ solar masses

In this field several galaxies are visible other than M61, the most evident are:

NGC 4292: a 12th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 31 million light years away

NGC 4301: a 13th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 64 million light years away

NGC 4255: a 13th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 94 million light years away

UGC 7422: a 14th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 92 million light years away

UGC 7411: a 14th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 103 million light years away

UGC 7387: a 14th magnitude Spiral Galaxy 124 million light years away

and many others appearing as faint dots...

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M61 and friends, Roberto Sartori