Messier 96
Messier 96
Credit & Copyright: Adam Block (
Caelum Observatory), Acknowledgement: R. Jay GaBany
Explanation: Dust lanes seem to swirl around the core of Messier 96 in this
colorful, detailed portrait of the beautiful
island universe. Of course
M96 is a spiral galaxy, and counting the faint arms extending beyond the brighter central region it spans 100 thousand light-years or so, about the size of our own Milky Way. M96 is known to be 38 million light-years distant, a dominant member of the
Leo I galaxy group. Background galaxies and smaller Leo I group members can be found by examining the picture, but accomplished astro-imager Adam Block notes he is most intrigued by the
edge-on spiral galaxy that apparently lies behind the outer spiral arm near the 10 o'clock position. The edge-on spiral appears to be about 1/5 the size of M96. If the spiral is similar in actual size to M96, then it lies about 5 times
farther away.
Messier 96
Knowledge Talks, Wisdom Listens. 
