images

Spiral galaxy M66 in Leo

by

A.Block/MLSC/Univ.of Az/Novapix

Reference

a-gax36-27006

Date

2012-04-14

NGC 3627, also known as Messier 66, is a beautiful spiral with a well-developed central bulge. It also displays large-scale dust lanes. The galaxy forms, together with its neighbours M65 and NGC 3628, the so-called "Leo Triplet"; they are located at a distance of about 35 million light-years. M 66 is the largest of the three. Its spiral arms appear distorted and displaced above the main plane of the galaxy. The asymmetric appearance is most likely due to gravitational interaction with its neighbours.