Messier 74
| Messier 74 | |
|---|---|
The spiral galaxy M74 (in the left bottom corner is the supernova SN 2013ej) | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Right ascension | 01h 36m 41.8s |
| Declination | +15° 47′ 01″ |
| Redshift | 657 km/s |
| Distance | 30 ± 6 Mly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.4 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SA(s)c HII |
| Number of stars | 100 billion (1×1011) |
| Size | 85,300 ly (26.16 kpc) (diameter; D25 isophote) |
| Apparent size (V) | 10′.5 × 9′.5 |
| Other designations | |
| NGC 628, UGC 1149, PGC 5974 | |
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.