Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Leo (Leo)  ·  Contains:  IC 2763  ·  M 65  ·  M 66  ·  NGC 3623  ·  NGC 3627  ·  NGC 3628
Leo trio, Jeff Signorelli
Leo trio
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Leo trio, Jeff Signorelli
Leo trio
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Description

The Leo Triplet (also known as the M66 Group) is a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. This galaxy group consists of the spiral galaxies M65, M66, and NGC 3628.

M65's disk appears slightly warped, and its relatively recent burst of star formation is also suggestive of some external disturbance with the other members.

Clues of this interaction are visible in M66 also as a strong asimmetry of the arms and an extremely high central mass concentration.

NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy, was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. It has an approximately 300,000 light-years long tidal tail.

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Leo trio, Jeff Signorelli

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