images

Galaxies M95 and M96 in Leo

by

R.Gendler/Novapix

Reference

a-gax33-51001

Date

2006-09-10

M95 (NGC 3351, left), is a barred spiral galaxy, M96 (NGC 3368, right), is a spiral galaxy. With M105 (not pictured here), they are dominant members of the Leo I galactic group which also includes several fainter galaxies. Their distance from our Sun has been determinated with great precision thanks to the discovery of Cepheids stars in these galaxies and a type IA supernova in M96 appeared in May 1998. Their distance to our Sun is 37 million light-years.