Spiral Galaxy · Leo

M95 NGC 3351

Magnitude
9.7
Season
Spring
Difficulty
Hard
Star-hop chart
M950.0° field0° rotation
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Imaging reference
NGC 3351 (M95) Spiral Galaxy

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.

Sourced catalogue data

Scientific record

Measurements for M95 are kept separate from practical observing guidance.

Coordinates (J2000/ICRS)
RA 160.990547° · Dec 11.703695°
SIMBAD classification
GiP
Morphology
SBb
Angular extent
5.6′ × 5.01′
Position angle
119°
Surface brightness
21.95 mag/arcsec²
Radial velocity
779 km/s
Redshift
0.00260185
Linked bibliography
1,255 references
Best midnight placement
February
Observable latitude range
-78.3° to 90°

Source: SIMBAD astronomical database (CDS, Strasbourg) (ODbL; checked 2026-08-09). Catalogue values may change when new measurements are published.

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