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M96
spiral galaxy in Leo
M96 is the brightest spiral galaxy in the Leo I group, with a bright core and slightly lopsided arms. It lies near M95 and M105, and the trio makes a classic wide-field galaxy shot.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M96
- Type
- spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Leo
- Size
- 7′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 9.2
- Distance
- about 31 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
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 M96
- Frame the group at about 500 mm on APS-C.
- A dark sky and long total exposure bring out the faint outer arms.
- Best in spring evenings from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M96 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 9% |
| 2,000 mm | about 17% |
| 3,000 mm | about 26% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point M96 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) | 47° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 57° | Workable |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 67° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 77° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 43° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
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