M 99 (Gal)
Galaxy in ComaBerenices
| R.A. | Dec. | Size | Mag | SB | Cnt.St | Type | Distance | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12h 18m 50.7s | +14° 24′ 55.5″ | 5.4′ | 9.9 | 13.1 | SA(s)c | Gal | -- | -- |
Source: POSS-2 UK Schmidt Red (STScI) | Field: 15′ × 15′
Background
M99 is a face-on grand-design spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, 50 million light-years away. A member of the Virgo Cluster. Known for its slightly asymmetric spiral arms, possibly the result of a past gravitational interaction with another cluster member.
My Observing Notes
25-cm (Meade 10-inch LX200, The Coffee Grinder): Suggested by Trevor Oates, who was imaging it at the time. A useful side-by-side with his camera: where his 5-minute exposures clearly revealed three bright spiral arms, the 10-inch only uncovered a bright uniform core with a surrounding halo ( 5.4'×4.8') and a slight elongated shape.(Friday, April 2025)
References
Charts
Ultra-wide view (~25° field)
Wide-field view with Telrad rings (4°, 2°, 0.5°)
Finderscope view (9×50 RACI, ~4.4° TFOV)
Eyepiece view — 35 mm Panoptic on 12-inch f/5 (1.6° TFOV)