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M105
elliptical galaxy in Leo
M105 is a round elliptical galaxy in Leo, in the same group as M95 and M96. Two fainter galaxies, NGC 3384 and NGC 3389, are close beside it.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M105
- Type
- elliptical galaxy
- Constellation
- Leo
- Size
- 5′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9.3
- Distance
- about 34 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Mar
- Typical prime months
- Dec to May
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
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How to image M105
- A frame of about 2 degrees includes M105, M95 and M96.
- At 5 arcminutes, use 1,500 mm or more for a close-up.
- Best in spring evenings from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M105 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 6% |
| 2,000 mm | about 12% |
| 3,000 mm | about 19% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M105 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | 48° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 58° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 68° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 78° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 42° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
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