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A face on spiral galaxy fills the view. Its bright, barred core is at the center of the image. The galaxy’s core is bisected by reddish-brown dust that extends into its spiral arms. Bright pink-white star forming regions dot the spiral arms.
Hubble · Messier 95 · NASA, ESA, J. Lee (STScI), and R. Chandar (University of Toledo); Image Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Messier 95

Galaxy in Leo · 33 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationLeo
Right ascension10h 43m 58s
Declination+11° 42′
Object distance33 million light-years
Apparent magnitude9.8
Apparent size7.2′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter69,115 light-years across
Also known asM95 · NGC 3351
Messier 95 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 3351) in the constellation Leo — 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 7.2 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 9.8, it shows up well in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 7.2′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 69,115 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 95

Messier 95 lies in the constellation Leo 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.

See Messier 95 in Universe Finder

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Sources

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