Messier 61 (M61)

Also Known as: NGC 4303

Object Type: Intermediate Barred Spiral Galaxy

Constellation: Virgo

Distance from Earth: 52.5 million light years

Apparent Magnitude: 9.7

Coordinates: RA 12H 21M 54.9S DEC 4deg 28min 25sec

Actual Size: 100,000 light years in diameter

Apparent Dimensions: 6.5 arc-minutes x 5.8 arc-minutes

Discovered by: M61 was discovered by Barnaba Oriani in 1779.
Charles Messier first spotted the object on the same night as Oriani, but mistook it for the comet mentioned by the Italian astronomer. He realized a few days later that the object was not moving and added it to his catalogue.

Description: Messier 61 is one of the largest galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, a massive group of galaxies containing more than 1,300 members, found in the constellation Virgo.
With a diameter of about 100,000 light years, M61 is roughly the same size as our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Messier 61 is classified as a starburst galaxy, one undergoing an extremely high rate of star forming activity.
M61 is a member of the M61 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.
M61 is one of the largest members of Virgo Cluster, and belongs to a smaller subgroup known as the S Cloud. The morphological classification indicates a weakly-barred spiral (SAB) with the suggestion of a ring structure and moderate to loosely wound spiral arms.
It has an active galactic nucleus and is classified as a starburst galaxy containing a massive nuclear star cluster with an estimated mass of 105 solar masses and an age of 4 million years, as well as a central candidate supermassive black hole weighing around 5×106 M☉ solar masses.
It cohabits with an older massive star cluster as well as a likely older starburst.
Evidence of significant star formation and active bright nebulae appears across M61's disk.
Unlike most late-type spiral galaxies within the Virgo Cluster, M61 shows an unusual abundance of neutral hydrogen.

Click Below Image(s) for Full Size:

Small telescopes show M61 as a faint oval-shaped patch with a bright core, while medium-sized and large telescopes reveal a very clear nucleus and a hint of the galaxy’s spiral arms.
The spiral arms and details of the galaxy’s structure become much clearer in 10-inch and 12-inch telescopes.

M61 is best seen in March, April, and May.

Platesolve

M61 Galaxy

Imaging Details
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