Messier 61

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Messier 61 (also known as M61, NGC 4303, or the Swelling Spiral Galaxy) is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It was first discovered by Barnaba Oriani on May 5, 1779, six days before Charles Messier discovered the same galaxy. Messier had observed it on the same night as Oriani but had mistaken it for a comet.<ref name="SEDS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its distance has been estimated to be 45.61 million light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. It is a member of the M61 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.<ref name="atlas universe">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Properties

M61 is one of the largest members of Virgo Cluster, and belongs to a smaller subgroup known as the S Cloud.<ref name="GOLDMine">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="VirgoAtlas">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The morphological classification of SAB(rs)bc<ref name="ned" /> indicates a weakly-barred spiral (SAB) with the suggestion of a ring structure (rs) and moderate to loosely wound spiral arms.<ref name="Class"> Template:Cite journal</ref> It has an active galactic nucleus<ref name="Jiménez-Bailón2003"> Template:Cite journal</ref> and is classified as a starburst galaxy containing a massive nuclear star cluster with an estimated mass of 1 million solar masses (Template:Solar mass) and an age of 4 million years,<ref name="Colina2002">Template:Cite journal</ref> as well as a central candidate supermassive black hole weighing around Template:Solar mass.<ref name="Pastorini2007">Template:Cite journal</ref> It cohabits with an older massive star cluster as well as a likely older starburst.<ref name=Colina2002/> Evidence of significant star formation and active bright nebulae appears across M61's disk.<ref name="Koopmann2004"> Template:Cite journal</ref> Unlike most late-type spiral galaxies within the Virgo Cluster, M61 shows an unusual abundance of neutral hydrogen (H I).<ref name="Kenney1986"> Template:Cite journal</ref>

Supernovae

Eight supernovae have been observed in M61, making it one of the most prodigious galaxies for such cataclysmic events.<ref>Supernovae which have been observed in Messier catalog galaxies</ref><ref name="eps_super"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SEDS" /> These include:

• SN 1926A (Type II, mag. 14) was discovered by Max Wolf and Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth on 9 May 1926.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 1961I (Type II, mag. 13) was discovered by Milton Humason on 3 June 1961.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 1964F (Type II, mag. 14) was discovered by Leonida Rosino on 30 June 1964.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 1999gn (Type II, mag. 16) was discovered by Alessandro Dimai on 17 December 1999.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 2006ov (Type II, mag. 14.9) was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 24 November 2006.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 2008in (Type II, mag. 14.9) was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 26 December 2008.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 2014dt (Type Ia-pec, mag. 13.6) was discovered by Kōichi Itagaki on 29 October 2014.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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• SN 2020jfo (Type II, mag. 16.01) was discovered by the Zwicky Transient Facility on 6 May 2020.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Gallery

• M61 (with NGC 4301 in upper left) imaged by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
  M61 (with NGC 4301 in upper left) imaged by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory
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• Messier 61 image using data from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 2
  Messier 61 image using data from Hubble's Wide Field Camera 2
• Amateur Image of Messier 61 Showing Supernova 2008in on April 16, 2009
  Amateur Image of Messier 61 Showing Supernova 2008in on April 16, 2009
• Infrared image of M61 taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope
  Infrared image of M61 taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope
• Messier 61 with SN2020jfo (Supernova) observed on May 15, 2020
  Messier 61 with SN2020jfo (Supernova) observed on May 15, 2020
• M61 galaxy image that incorporates data from not only Hubble, but also the FORS camera at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope
  M61 galaxy image that incorporates data from not only Hubble, but also the FORS camera at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope

See also

• List of Messier objects

External links

• messier.seds.org/m/m061.html
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