Deep Sky Object in Spring
Close-up of M65, M66, NGC3628


Date & Time: Dec 27 2025, from 25:40 to 27:39 JST(+0900)
Mosaic of 2 flames 10 shots composed with 6 minutes exposed
Optical: Meade 25cm(10") Schmidt-Cassegrain with conversion lens (f=1600mm, F6.3)
with IDAS LPS-P1 Light-pollution suppression filter
Auto-guided with Meade LX200 Equatorial & Lacerta M-GEN
Digital Camera: Nikon D810A
Location: Ooizumi, Hokuto city, Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Recording Format...14bit CCD-RAW, converted to 16bit TIFF(4080×4080)
Device Size...20×20mm
Sensitivity...ISO4000, White Balance...Daylight


This is a close-up image of M65 (lower right), M66 (lower left), and NGC 3628 (top). M65 shows a clearly defined dark dust lane along its spiral arms, while the arms of M66 are seen to contain Hα regions with complex structures. Although the two galaxies appear to lie very close together, M66 is actually about 10 million light-years farther away, which means it is correspondingly the larger galaxy. The dark dust lane running through the center of NGC 3628 becomes wider toward both ends, giving it a rather unusual structure that differs significantly from typical galaxies, whose central bulge is usually the thickest part.

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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



M61
M83

Copyright(c) 2025 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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