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Stars, bright and dark clouds fill the view. Only a portion of the spiral galaxy is visible. Its bright core sits in the upper-left quadrant of the image.
Hubble · Messier 98 · NASA, ESA, V. Rubin (Carnegie Institution of Washington)

Messier 98

Galaxy in Coma Berenices · 44.4 million light-years

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationComa Berenices
Right ascension12h 13m 48s
Declination+14° 54′
Object distance44.4 million light-years
Apparent magnitude10.8
Apparent size11′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter142,070 light-years across
Also known asM98 · NGC 4192
Messier 98 is a galaxy (also catalogued as NGC 4192) 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 11 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 10.8, it is a fainter object that rewards a moderate telescope and dark skies.

Although it appears about 11′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 142,070 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Messier 98

Messier 98 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. It is faint — plan for a moderate telescope and a dark, moonless sky. 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 98 in Universe Finder

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Sources

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