M95, NGC 3351

The SBb barred spiral galaxy M95, possibly ringed, is a member of the Leo I galaxy grouping, which includes M96, and M105, as well as various NGC and other galaxies, all at a distance of about 38 million light-years. This picture was taken in February 1996 at the KPNO 0.9-meter telescope. The inset in the top right corner shows the fascinatingly complex structure of the innermost regions. A different view with somewhat worse resolution shows the fainter outer regions of the galaxy, as well as various small faint background galaxies. Image size 5.1x6.7 arc minutes.