Galaxy
Messier 66
Also M66 · NGC 3627
A spiral galaxy in the Leo Triplet, its arms pulled out of shape by its neighbours.
Measured
- Distance
- about 29.3 million light-years (published estimates 29.3 million–35 million)
- Size
- about 72,000 light-years across (approximate)
- Constellation
- Leo
- Position (J2000)
- RA 11h 20m 15s, Dec +12.99°
How far, from the Sun
About 29.3 million light-years. To cross it:
- Light29.3 million years
- Voyager 1's speed521 billion years
- Driving at 100 km/h316 trillion years
Voyager 1 at the speed it moved outward over the year to 2026-10-25 (JPL Horizons). Driving: nonstop, never refuelling.
Facts
- Several supernovae have been seen in it.
- It is moving away from us at about 720 km/s (NASA/IPAC NED).
Where this comes from
- Cosmicflows-3 (Tully, Courtois & Sorce 2016, AJ 152, 50: 8.99 Mpc); Cepheid estimates reach 10.72 Mpc (ApJ 715, 277, 2010)
- This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, CDS, Strasbourg, France (Wenger et al. 2000, A&AS 143, 9).
- This research has made use of the VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier).
Every catalogue Ouranos draws is credited on the credits page.