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Messier 66: Difference between revisions
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(Created page with "Messier 66 (also known as NGC 3627) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away in theconstellation Leo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. M...") |
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Messier 66 (also known as NGC 3627) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away in | Messier 66 (also known as NGC 3627) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away in the constellation [[Leo]]. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1780. M66 is about 95 thousand light-years across with striking dust lanes and bright star clusters along sweeping spiral arms. M66 is part of the famous Leo Triplet, a smallgroup of galaxies that also includes M65 and NGC 3628. | ||
Gravitational interaction from its past encounter with neighboring NGC 3628 has resulted in: | |||
An extremely high central mass concentration;A high molecular to atomic mass ratio;A resolved noncorotating clump of H I material apparently removed from one of the spiral arms. | An extremely high central mass concentration;A high molecular to atomic mass ratio;A resolved noncorotating clump of H I material apparently removed from one of the spiral arms. | ||
This third result shows up visually as an extremely prominent and unusual spiral arm and dust lane structures as originally noted in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_66 Messier 66]</ref> | This third result shows up visually as an extremely prominent and unusual spiral arm and dust lane structures as originally noted in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_66 Messier 66]</ref> | ||