Leo Triplet (M66 group)
This small group of galaxies consists of the Messier objects M65 (NGC3623), lower right, and M66 (NGC3627), lower left, along with the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC3628, upper left. These three galaxies form a rather attractive triplet at the heart of the M66 group, which includes a number of other galaxies which are "out of shot". The Leo Triplet also appears in Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. At a distance of 35 million light-years, maybe a little further, the M66 group may be related to M96 (NGC3368) and the Leo I galaxy group. This approximately true-color picture was created from images taken in June 1995 using BVR colors, at the Burrell Schmidt telescope of Case Western Reserve University's Warner and Swasey Observatory located on Kitt Peak, near Tucson, Arizona, during the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program operated at the Kitt Peak National Observatory and supported by the National Science Foundation. Image size 40.6x50.8 arc minutes.
Credit:REU program/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/
About the Image
Id: | noao-m65a66 |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | June 30, 2020, 9:33 p.m. |
Size: | 2400 x 3000 px |
About the Object
Wallpapers
Coordinates
Position (RA): | 11 19 55.30 |
Position (Dec): | 13° 25' 15.30" |
Field of view: | 40.61 x 50.76 arcminutes |
Orientation: | North is 2.0° left of vertical |
Colors & filters
Band | Tele-scope |
---|---|
Optical B | Burrell Schmidt Telescope |
Optical V | Burrell Schmidt Telescope |
Optical R | WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope |