Discover the Mesmerizing Messier 61: A Swirling Spiral Galaxy

Let’s admire the perfect structure of Messier 61 (aka NGC 4303), among the most beautiful spiral galaxies out there. What you see in this image is Messier 61 (M 61), a spectacular barred spiral galaxy, captured last spring with the Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST-10XME robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy. Located approximately 52 million light-years from Earth, M 61 is part of the famous Virgo Cluster of galaxies, a rich aggregation containing thousands of members in the direction of that large zodiacal constellation. With its elegantly wound spiral arms and a bright, active nucleus, M 61 is often compared to our Milky Way in both structure and size. It is rightly considered one of the most beautiful spiral galaxies in the northern sky. But its allure is not merely aesthetic: M 61 is a true stellar factory. Its spiral arms are filled with H II regions, immense clouds of ionized gas where new stars are born. Moreover, over the past century, eight supernovae have been observed within its boundaries — an exceptionally high number. Back to “Galaxies” page Support The Virtual Telescope Project!