Discovered by Charles Messier, it has been long known that M66 displays a slightly odd structure, with a tightly wound eastern arm and a hooked western arm that appears to rise out of the plain of the galaxy's disc.
M66 = NGC3627 (11h 20.2m +12°59´, 9.0 mag. )
This spiral galaxy in Leo was discovered by Mechain in 1780 together with M65. Messier saw it on March 1, same year. M66 measures about 50,000 ly across and at 21.
M66 is the largest of the three. Its spiral arms appear distorted and displaced above the main plane of the galaxy. The asymmetric appearance is most likely due to gravitational interaction with its neighbors.
ESA's Mars Express Releases the Beagle 2 ...
The M66 group of galaxies (the Leo triplet) is a loose group of galaxies.
Credit: NOAO/AURA/NSF
Stephan's Quintet is a Hickson compact group. At least two of the galaxies appear to be undergoing a merger.
Credit: NOAO/AURA ...
Another member of this triplet of galaxies in Leo is a spiral galaxy known as M66. This galaxy is much larger than its close neighbor, M65. Its visual appearance is a bit unusual in that its spiral is irregular in shape.
Both this pair and M65/M66 are considered to be about 30 million light years away. M105 (NGC 3379) is a much dimmer galaxy to the north-north-east of M96.
NGC 3627, M66 a spiral galaxy in Leo
AAT 63. NGC 3628, an edge-on galaxy in the Leo Group
AAT 80. NGC 2818A, planetary nebula in cluster
AAT 62. NGC 3627, M66 a spiral galaxy in Leo
AAT 97. M95, NGC 3351, barred spiral galaxy in Leo
AAT 103.
M65 (spiral galaxy)
M66 (spiral galaxy)
M95 (spiral galaxy)
M96 (spiral galaxy)
M105 (elliptical galaxy)
This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac.
M65 (spiral galaxy)
M66 (spiral galaxy)
M95 (spiral galaxy)
M96 (spiral galaxy)
M105 (elliptical galaxy)
This is one of the 13 constellations of the Zodiac.
The carbon star CW Leo (IRC +10216) is the brightest star in the night sky at the infrared N-band (10 μm wavelength).
Notable deep sky objects
Leo contains many bright galaxies, of which the twins (Spiral Galaxy M65, Spiral Galaxy M66) and ...
With binoculars, the cores of the spirals, but not their faint arms, can be distinguished. M105 appears only as a faint oval-shaped glow. Under the hindquarters of Leo, a spiral galaxy (M66) can be observed.
The second-brightest star (Beta Leo) is Denebola (meaning "tail of the lion"), and the third-brightest star (Gamma 1 Leo) is Algieba (meaning "forehead"). The spiral galaxies M65, M66, M95, M96, and the elliptical galaxy M105 are nearby.
The three galaxies M65, M66 and NGC 3628 form a conspicuous triple.
The other two Messier objects, M95 and M96 are two fainter spiral galaxies. For more information and observing hints please follow the links to the Messier database.
The following objects are located within Our Supercluster but not within the Local Group; they are objects 100,000,000 light-years to 10,000,000 light-years from the Sun: M49, M51, M58, M59, M60, M61, M63, M64, M65, M66.
 See also: M65, Leo, Galaxies, Galaxy, Constellation
|
