Messier 65 is a striking spiral galaxy known for its bright nucleus and prominent spiral arms. Its appearance is somewhat tilted to our line of sight, giving it an oblong shape. The galaxy is part of the Leo Triplet, a small group of interacting galaxies. Despite its seemingly inactive nature, M65 exhibits signs of tidal interactions with its neighbors, contributing to its slightly distorted appearance.
Names and Catalog numbers
- Messier: M65
- NGC: NGC 3623
- UGC: UGC 6328
- PGC: PGC 34612
- ARP: ARP 317
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Messier 65 resides in the constellation Leo, forming part of the Leo Triplet alongside Messier 66 and NGC 3628. Observers can easily locate it during spring evenings by looking about 2.5 degrees southwest of the star Theta Leonis. Its position in the night sky, coupled with its membership in the Leo Triplet, makes it a popular target for amateur astronomers and astrophotographers seeking to capture multiple galaxies in a single frame.
Nice to Know
- M65 was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780, along with its companion M66.
- It is classified as a SAB(rs)a galaxy, indicating a spiral structure with a weak bar and a ring-like arrangement.
- The galaxy shows minimal star formation activity, suggesting it may be running low on star-forming gas.
- Astrophotographers often capture M65 as part of the Leo Triplet, showcasing the gravitational interactions between the three galaxies.
Brightness, distance and size
Messier 65 shines with an apparent magnitude of approximately 9.3, making it visible through small telescopes under dark sky conditions. Located about 35 million light-years from Earth, the galaxy spans roughly 60,000 light-years in diameter. In terms of angular size, M65 appears about 8.7 by 2.5 arcminutes in the night sky, presenting astrophotographers with a challenging yet rewarding target that can reveal intricate dust lanes and spiral structure when captured with sufficient exposure and resolution.
