| Object Data |
| Description |
M66 is the largest of the
Leo Triplet which consists of
M65, M66, and NGC3628.
Its spiral arms are deformed and seem to be displaced above the plane of
the galaxy. One of the arms appears to pass over the side of the central
bulge. Much dust is visible, as well as long strings of pink nebulae, a
definite sign of vigorous star formation. |
| Constellation |
Leo the Lion |
| Right Ascension |
11h 20m 25s |
| Declination |
+12° 58' 31" |
| Magnitude |
9.7 |
| Angular size |
9.1 arcminutes |
| Distance |
6.6 megaparsecs (21 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
727 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 14" LX200GPS @ f/10 (3556mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Celestron 5" SCT @ f/7.5 (950mm) |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
580 x 780 @ 0.5 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Sixteen exposures of two minutes each. Aligned,
stacked, and processed with AstroArt. |
| Date |
May 20, 2004 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in central
South Florida. |
