Observer's guide
About NGC 3351
NGC 3351 (M95) is catalogued as a spiral galaxy in Leo. Its J2000 position is RA 10:43:57.70, Dec +11:42:13.7, corresponding to 160.9905 degrees RA and 11.7037 degrees Dec. The local catalogue places it about 38,000,000 light-years away. Its referenced angular extent is approximately 5.6 by 5.01 arcminutes.
Observing tips
StarWatchr rates this as a hard target at magnitude 9.7. It is associated with spring observing, with midnight placement typically strongest around February. From 52 degrees north its theoretical meridian altitude is about 49.7 degrees; local horizons and the live altitude chart determine the practical window.
Because it is faint, use a larger aperture where possible, avoid bright Moon conditions, and use averted vision.
What to expect
The SIMBAD classification for the matched source is GiP. SIMBAD records the morphology as SBb. A published radial velocity value is 779 km/s. The SIMBAD record currently connects it to 1255 bibliographic references.
At roughly 5.6 arcminutes across, it benefits from a narrower field and adequate image scale. Use the listed 5.6 by 5.01 arcminute extent to check framing, and treat catalogue magnitude as integrated brightness rather than a direct measure of visual contrast.
