Wikipedia:
Messier 96 (M96) was discovered by French astronomer
Pierre Méchain in 1781. After communicating his finding, French astronomer
Charles Messier confirmed the finding four days later and added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects.Finding this object is burdensome with large binoculars. Ideal minimum resolution, in a
good sky, is via a telescope of 25.4 cm (10.0 in)
aperture, to reveal its three-by-five-
arcminute halo with a brighter core region.This complex galaxy is inclined by an angle of about 53° to the line of sight from the
Earth, which is oriented at a
position angle of 172°.
It is categorized as a double-barred spiral galaxy with a small inner bulge through the core along with an outer bulge. The nucleus displays a weak level of activity of the
LINER2 type. Variations in
ultraviolet emission from the core suggest the presence of a
supermassive black hole. Estimates for the mass of this object range from 1.5×106 to 4.8×107
solar masses (M☉).On May 9, 1998 a
supernova was observed in this galaxy. Designated
SN 1998bu, this was a
Type Ia supernova explosion. It reached maximum light on May 21, then steadily declined in magnitude. Observations of the ejecta a year later showed creation of 0.4 solar masses of iron. The
spectrum of the
supernova remnant confirmed too radioactive 56Co, which decays into 56Fe.Messier 96 is about the same mass and size as the
Milky Way.
It is a very asymmetric galaxy; its dust and gas are unevenly spread throughout its weak spiral arms, and its core is just offset from the midpoint of its extremes. Its arms are also asymmetrical, thought to have been influenced by the gravitational pull of other galaxies within its group.Messier 96 is being studied as part of a survey of 50 nearby galaxies known as the Legacy ExtraGalactic
UV Survey (LEGUS), providing an unprecedented view of star formation within the local universe.
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