Deep Sky Object in Spring
M65, M66, NGC3628 (Galaxies in Leo)

Click on image to enlarge

Date & Time: Mar 20 2023, from 24:21 to 26:17 JST(+0900)
Composed 24 shots with 5 minutes exposed
Optical: TAKAHASHI 16cm(6.3") epsilon (f=530mm, F3.3)
with IDAS LPS-D1 Light-pollution suppression filter
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI JP Equatorial+SBIG STV
CMOS Camera: ZWO ASI2600MC Pro (Cooled temp.: -20°C)
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording format...16bit FITS, converted to 16bit TIFF(6248×4176)
Device Size...23.5×15.7mm, Gain...100(1st half), 300(2nd half)


M65 (NGC3623) and M66 (NGC3627) make a splendid pair of spiral galaxies in the same field at Leo's hind legs, between θ and ι Leonis, right and left-hand side ones are M65 and M66 respectively. And about a degree north, you can see one more edge-on galaxy NGC3628 with a dark lane being crossed; the galaxy is dimmer than M65 and M66. You can appreciate this trio, often called as "Leo's Triplet", as similar scenery to this picture with telescopes. The galaxies have interaction via gravity, and lie on the empty space approximately 20 or 30 million light years away.
Moreover, this image shows you that NGC3628 has an extraordinary indistinct flow in eastern (left hand side) direction with a length of about three-times of that of the galaxy itself. This can be seen more clearly in the inverted monochrome image. It's called "Tidal tail", considered that the gigantic gravitational interaction with surrounding galaxies configured the unique structure. The Tidal tail is composed of young bluish stars and star-forming gaseous matters.
This image has been cropped with an equivalent focal length of 700mm.

To close-up of M65 & M66 (105KB)
To close-up of NGC3628 (114KB)
M65 (NGC3623) / Galaxy, type SAB(rs)a II
R.A.11h 18m 55.2s (2000.0)
Dec.+13° 05' 35" (2000.0)
Apparent Size7.8×1.5'
Radial Velocity+1146km/s
Magnitude9.3
Distance25 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesLeo I Group
Other IDsUGC6328, MCG2-29-18,
PGC34612
M66 (NGC3627) / Galaxy, type SAB(s)b II
R.A.11h 20m 14.4s (2000.0)
Dec.+12° 59' 42" (2000.0)
Apparent Size9.1×4.2'
Radial Velocity+1066km/s
Magnitude8.4
Distance34 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesLeo I Group
Other IDsUGC6346, MCG2-29-19,
PGC34695
NGC3628 / Galaxy, type Sb pec sp III
R.A.11h 20m 16.2s (2000.0)
Dec.+13° 35' 22" (2000.0)
Apparent Size14.7×2.9'
Radial Velocity+1184km/s
Magnitude10.5
Distance25 million light yrs.
Group of GalaxiesLeo I Group
Other IDsUGC6350, MCG2-29-20,
CGCG67-58, PGC34697
Wide-field image around M65, M66 Wide-field image around M65, M66

  Three galaxies are collected together between sita and iota Leo.
(Taken with f=200mm telephoto lens)




M61
M83

Copyright(c) 2023 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
To top page To Deepsky in Spring index Leo