Galaxy
Phantom Galaxy
Spiral galaxy · M74 · NGC 628
Spiral galaxy in Pisces
Photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration. Acknowledgment: · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Messier 74 is a large spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation Pisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy. The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe. Its relatively large angular size and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves. It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~24–36 million light-years
Apparent mag.
+9.4
Apparent size
10.5′ × 9.5′
Best seen with
Telescope
Catalogue
M74 · NGC 628
Did you know
- Listed as Messier 74 in the Messier catalogue, also known as NGC 628.
- Found in the constellation Pisces.
- Needs a telescope to see clearly.
