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M98
spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices
M98 is a nearly edge-on spiral galaxy at the northern edge of the Virgo Cluster. It is one of the few galaxies known to be moving toward us rather than away. Its elongated shape and dusty arms stand out in long exposures.
Save your telescope or lens on the planner to lay your camera frame over this diagram.
// Key facts
- Catalog
- M98
- Type
- spiral galaxy
- Constellation
- Coma Berenices
- Size
- 10′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 10.1
- Distance
- about 44 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 M98
- At 10 arcminutes, use 1,000 to 1,500 mm.
- M99 and M100 are in the same region, so a wider frame or mosaic can capture several galaxies.
- Best in spring evenings from northern sites.
Framing: what focal length?
M98 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 M98 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) | 50° | Workable |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 60° | High in the sky |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 70° | High in the sky |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 80° | High in the sky |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 40° | Workable |
Also worth imaging
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