https://www.sciencedowneast.com/zenphoto Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:27:23 -0300 Sat, 08 Aug 2026 05:27:23 -0300 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Zenphoto RSS Generator https://www.sciencedowneast.com/zenphoto/index.php?album=Galaxies/M96&image=M96.jpg Click on the image to view it at full resolution, then click again for actual size.

Messier 96 (M96, NGC 3368) is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo and the brightest member of the Leo I Group (also known as the M96 Group), a small galaxy cluster that also includes M95 and M105. Distance estimates depend on the method used and range from about 31 to 41 million light-years, with figures around 31-35 million light-years most commonly cited; the galaxy spans roughly 66,000 light-years, comparable in scale to the Milky Way. M96 shows a bright, slightly off-center nucleus, a weak inner bar, and somewhat asymmetric spiral arms laced with patchy dust lanes, likely shaped by gravitational interactions with its group neighbors. It is a moderately compact target for amateur imaging, rewarding longer total integration to bring out its faint outer arms and dust structure.

[Source: Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_96]

Moon Phase	Waxing Crescent
Camera	ToupTek ATR2600C
Optics	Skywatcher Esprit 120ED, 840 mm focal length, f/7 (120 mm aperture, APO triplet)
Date	2025-03-03
PixInsight Processing	Image Integration (x4) PixelMath

Date: July 28, 2026 ]]> https://www.sciencedowneast.com/zenphoto/index.php?album=Galaxies/M96&image=M96.jpg Mon, 03 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0400