Object Information                                            Imaging Details

The Leo Trio comprises three galaxies, M65 (lower right), M66 (lower left) and the edge-on spiral galaxy, NGC 3628 (top). M65 is a type Sa spiral galaxy; M66 is listed as an irregular galaxy and included in the catalog of irregular galaxies (Arp 16). The cluster of similarly bright (mag ~10) objects occupies roughly 25 x 45 arc-minutes, making this an excellent target for astrophotography.

The galaxy group lies about 3 degrees SSW of Cherton, a third magnitude star in Leo. It is visible as faint smudges in modest-sized telescopes. Larger telescopes with low focal ratios will reveal the trio in more detail.

This image was taken at the 2006 Texas Star Party. Transparency was good; seeing was moderate.

Clicking the above image will bring up a wider field and slightly higher resoltuion image. Clicking the map gives a more detailed image of the location of the galaxy cluster.