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M100 as seen by Hubble
Hubble · Messier 100 · NASA, ESA, and Judy Schmidt

Messier 100

Galaxy in Coma Berenices · 55 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationComa Berenices
Right ascension12h 22m 55s
Declination+15° 49′
Object distance55 million light-years
Apparent magnitude9.5
Apparent size6.1′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter97,593 light-years across
Also known asM100 · NGC 4321
Messier 100 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4321) in the constellation Coma Berenices — an island of billions of stars far beyond our own Milky Way. It was recorded by Charles Messier in his famous catalogue of 110 deep-sky objects. It spans roughly 6.1 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 9.5, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 6.1′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 97,593 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 100

Messier 100 lies in the constellation Coma Berenices and is best placed in the evening sky around March. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

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Sources

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