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The luminous heart of the galaxy m61 dominates this image.
Hubble · Messier 61 · ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESO, J. Lee and the PHANGS-HST Team

Messier 61

Galaxy in Virgo · 52.5 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 21m 55s
Declination+4° 28′
Object distance52.5 million light-years
Apparent magnitude10.3
Apparent size6.9′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter105,374 light-years across
Also known asM61 · NGC 4303
Messier 61 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4303) in the constellation Virgo — 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 6.9 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 10.3, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 6.9′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 105,374 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 61

Messier 61 lies in the constellation Virgo 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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