Messier 74
Sign in to saveSpiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces
AI overview
Messier 74 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Pisces that is visible from Earth through telescopes. Astronomers study it because its well-defined spiral structure makes it an excellent example for understanding how spiral galaxies are organized and formed.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
Messier 74 (also known as NGC 628 and Phantom Galaxy) is a large spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation Pisces. It is about 32 million light-years away from Earth. The galaxy contains two clearly defined spiral arms and is therefore used as an archetypal example of a grand design spiral galaxy. The galaxy's low surface brightness makes it the most difficult Messier object for amateur astronomers to observe. Its relatively large angular (that is, apparent) size and the galaxy's face-on orientation make it an ideal object for professional astronomers who want to study spiral arm structure and spiral density waves. It is estimated that M74 hosts about 100 billion stars.
Observation history