The Leo Triplet
The 3 Galaxies named:
- Messier 65 (Mag 9.3 SB 12.80)
- Messier 66 (Mag 8.9 SB 12.70)
- NGC 3628 (Mag 10.3 SB 14.21)
make up the Leo Triplet, a classic cluster of Galaxies, as shown below.
Click on image for a larger view …
| Camera Optics Focal Length Focal Ratio ISO Autoguiding? Subs Total Exposure |
Canon 40D (unmodified) Canon 500L IS + x1.4 ext 700mm f5.6 1250 No 48 2hours 24minutes |
In the image above M65 is uppermost, M66 lower right and NGC3628 to the left.
As you might suspect, they are to be found in the constellation of Leo. The 3 galaxies are about 35 million light years distant from us and are sometimes called the M66 group. These galaxies are distorted by the gravitational interactions between them. Whilst being the dullest of the three, NGC3628 is a particularly interesting galaxy with a large & deformed equatorial dust band. Having a low surface brightness it was awkward for Messier to spot and so its discovery was left for William Herschel to accomplish.
