Messier 95, also cataloged as NGC 3351, is a barred spiral galaxy in Leo that presents a rewarding but demanding target for astrophotographers due to its moderate apparent magnitude of 9.73 mag. Its compact angular size of 5.6′ × 5.0′ means that longer focal lengths are needed to resolve the elegant ring-like structure of its spiral arms surrounding a prominent central bar. With a surface brightness of 21.9774 mag/arcsec², capturing its faint outer features rewards patient exposure under dark skies and careful stretching in post-processing. Its position in Leo makes it an ideal spring-season subject, frequently framed alongside neighboring galaxies for wide-field group compositions.
Names and Catalog numbers
- M 95 (Messier 95)
- NGC 3351
- UGC 5850
- PGC 32007
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
Messier 95 (NGC 3351) lies within the constellation Leo at a right ascension of 10h 43m 57.73s and a declination of +11° 42′ 13.3″, placing it well within reach of imagers across the northern hemisphere during spring. It is a member of the Leo I group of galaxies, sharing its celestial vicinity with the bright companions Messier 96 and Messier 105, which allows astrophotographers to compose sweeping wide-field frames that gather several galaxies in a single exposure. This tight grouping, set against the relatively sparse background stars of Leo, offers a striking sense of cosmic scale and depth in a single image.
Nice to Know
- Messier 95 is one of the more photogenic barred spirals, with a distinctive inner ring encircling its bright central bar that stands out beautifully at longer focal lengths.
- At a distance of roughly 32.6 million light-years, its light has traveled for millions of years before reaching your camera sensor.
- With a physical diameter of about 53,100 light-years, it is somewhat smaller than our own Milky Way, yet its structure is remarkably well defined in deep exposures.
- As a member of the Leo I group alongside Messier 96 and Messier 105, it is a favorite for multi-galaxy wide-field astrophotography compositions.
Brightness, distance and size
The object has an apparent magnitude of 9.7 mag, it lies about 32.6 million light-years from Earth and spans roughly 53,100 light-years across. On the sky it appears about 5.6′ × 5.0′ in size.
