Messier 61

Messier 61 (M61) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo, with an apparent magnitude of 9.7. It is about 53.8 million light-years away.

Finder chart for Messier 61 in the constellation Virgo
Messier 61 (circled) in Virgo. Pink symbols mark Messier objects.
Download:PNG

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

Embed this image on your website

Paste this HTML into your page. It shows the image and credits the source as the license requires.

Facts

CatalogMessier 61 (M61)
Typespiral galaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Apparent magnitude9.7
Distanceabout 53.8 million light-years
Right ascension12 h 21.9 min
Declination+4.47°
Best monthMay (at about 9 pm)

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find M61

M61 is in Virgo. From 40° N it is highest in the south in May evenings, about 54° up. From 35° S it reaches about 51° in the north. You need a telescope and a dark sky to see it.

Virgo constellation →

Other Messier objects in Virgo

Messier 49 (M49)Messier 58 (M58)Messier 59 (M59)Messier 60 (M60)Messier 84 (M84)Messier 86 (M86)Messier 87 (M87)Messier 89 (M89)Messier 90 (M90)Sombrero Galaxy (M104)

The Messier catalog →

Report a mistake on this page