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Phantom Galaxy (M74)

spiral galaxy in Pisces

The Phantom Galaxy is a face-on spiral in Pisces, a famously elusive target. It has a low surface brightness, so its arms are very faint against the sky, and it needs a dark site and long exposure to show well.

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Approximate size and shape, drawn to scale. Not a photograph.

// Key facts

Catalog: M74
Type: spiral galaxy
Constellation: Pisces
Size: 10′ across
Brightness: Magnitude 9.4
Distance: about 32 million light-years
Peak month (any location): Oct
Typical prime months: Jul to Dec
Difficulty: Advanced
Filter: No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional

// For your location

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How to image Phantom Galaxy

At 10 arcminutes, use 1,000 to 1,500 mm.
Dark skies matter more here than for almost any other Messier galaxy, because the surface brightness is low.
It is best in autumn evenings from northern sites.

Framing: what focal length?

M74 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 12%
2,000 mm	about 25%
3,000 mm	about 37%

How high does it climb from your latitude?

The highest point M74 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)	51°	Workable
45°N (Minneapolis, Milan)	61°	High in the sky
35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo)	71°	High in the sky
25°N (Miami, Cairo)	81°	High in the sky
35°S (Sydney, Santiago)	39°	Workable

Also worth imaging

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