Messier 66

Messier 66 (also known as NGC 3627 ) is a 8.9 like bright spiral galaxy of Hubble type Sb with a surface area of 8.3 '× 4.2 ' in the constellation Leo. The actual diameter is about 100 000 light- years.

Together with Messier 65 and NGC 3628 makes this galaxy the Leo triplet, is the core of the M66 group of galaxies, which is in about 30 million light- years (10 Mpc ) distance. In M66, the supernova SN were 1989b (type Ia) and the possible supernova SN observed 1997bs, where it could have focused also been an LBV outburst.

The galaxy is already to be seen in a bright binoculars. She was discovered on March 1, 1780 by the French astronomer Pierre Méchain. Scientifically it has been also studied by space-based telescopes. A study with the Hubble Space Telescope shows active regions in the H -alpha spectral line. A superposition of the visual spectrum with an infrared image from the Spitzer Space Telescope and a recording of the gamma rays by the Chandra Space Telescope makes the distribution of black holes emerge.