M61 (NGC 4303)
Also known as M61 · M 61 · NGC 4303
M61 (NGC 4303) is a galaxy in the constellation Virgo, about 55.45 million light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Galaxy (shape Sc(dSc)) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Position (J2000) | 12h 21m 54s, +4° 28′ |
| Distance | 55.45 million light-years (its light set off about 55.45 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 9.65 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 5′ × 5′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Redshift | z = 0.00524 |
| Studied in | 1,104 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
M61 (NGC 4303) is highest in the sky at midnight in March. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 74° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 44°. To see it you need a small telescope.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Virgo
- 3C 279
- M49 (NGC 4472)
- M58 (NGC 4579)
- M59 (NGC 4621)
- M60 (NGC 4649)
- M84 (NGC 4374)
- M86 (NGC 4406)
- M87* (Messier 87)
Everything in Virgo · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits