Messier 65 and its Leo Triplet neighbors with signature overlay.
🌌 Overview
- Name: Messier 65 (M65)
- Catalog: NGC 3623
- Type: Spiral Galaxy (type SAa)
- Constellation: Leo
- Distance: ~35 million light-years
- Apparent Magnitude: ~10.3
- Size: ~9 × 2 arcminutes
- Group: Member of the Leo Triplet along with M66 and NGC 3628
✨ What We See
M65 is a gently tilted spiral galaxy, appearing just off edge-on from our viewpoint. The structure includes:
- A bright, elongated central bulge
- Subtle, tightly wound spiral arms
- Dust lanes visible along the disk
- A smooth, undisturbed halo — indicating minimal interaction compared to its neighbor NGC 3628
🔭 Astrophysical Context
- M65 is part of the Leo Triplet, a famous trio of galaxies ~35 million light-years away
- Unlike NGC 3628, which shows strong tidal distortion, M65 remains relatively undisturbed
- Offers insight into the evolution of isolated spirals and galactic group dynamics
📷 Equipment Used
- Telescope: TS-Optics 80PHQ (544mm f/6.8 Quintuplet APO)
- Camera: SVBONY SV605MC (IMX533 Mono)
- Mount: Sky-Watcher EQ5 Pro
- Guiding: Off-Axis Guider with veLOX 178 C
- Filters: LRGB
- Software: NINA, PHD2, PixInsight, Photoshop
- Signature Overlay: Custom transparent watermark included
📝 Final Thoughts
M65 stands out with its clean structure and calm appearance, contrasting the chaos often found in interacting galaxies. Framing it alongside M66 and NGC 3628 gives this image extra depth, showcasing the quiet and the wild in galactic evolution.
Galaxies tell stories — and M65 whispers stability in a cosmic trio.
Clear skies!