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M61
spiral galaxy in Virgo
M61 is a face-on spiral galaxy in Virgo with well-defined arms and a bright core, and has hosted several supernovae. Its arms show knotted star-forming regions, and it is one of the better spirals in this part of the sky.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M61
- Type
- spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Virgo
- Size
- 6′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9.7
- Distance
- about 52 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Mar
- Typical prime months
- Jan to Jun
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
Pick a saved location or share your device location. Your coordinates are used only to calculate tonight and are not stored. To save locations, use the planner.
How to image M61
- At 6 arcminutes, use 1,200 to 2,000 mm.
- A dark sky and long total exposure bring out the faint outer arms.
- It is best from spring evenings, and moderately placed for northern observers.
Framing: what focal length?
M61 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 7% |
| 2,000 mm | about 15% |
| 3,000 mm | about 22% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M61 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) | 39° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 49° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 59° | Workable |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 69° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 51° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
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