Messier 61 is a spiral galaxy in Virgo, 54 million light-years away
Messier 61 (M61, NGC 4303, Herschel 400 no. 228, PGC 040001, UGC 07420) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo , 54 million light-years away. It shines at magnitude 10.2 and spans 6.5′ × 5.8′ of sky, about 101,500 light-years across. It is best in a small telescope, 4 to 6 inches, and it is highest in the evening sky in May.
Galaxy: a system of billions of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity, far outside the Milky Way. Spiral galaxies have a disk with arms; elliptical galaxies are smooth, round or oval swarms of older stars.
Finding Messier 61 from Porrima
Porrima
Messier 61
VIRGO
Messier 61 lies 7.7° northwest of Porrima , the magnitude 2.7 star. Three fingers held at arm's length cover about 5°.
Messier 61 is highest in the evening in May
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60°N
JAN at 60°N: -9° high at 9 pm FEB at 60°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 60°N: 19° high at 9 pm APR at 60°N: 31° high at 9 pm MAY at 60°N: 34° high at 9 pm JUN at 60°N: 29° high at 9 pm JUL at 60°N: 17° high at 9 pm AUG at 60°N: 2° high at 9 pm SEP at 60°N: -12° high at 9 pm OCT at 60°N: -22° high at 9 pm NOV at 60°N: -25° high at 9 pm DEC at 60°N: -20° high at 9 pm 50°N
JAN at 50°N: -13° high at 9 pm FEB at 50°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 50°N: 24° high at 9 pm APR at 50°N: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 50°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUN at 50°N: 37° high at 9 pm JUL at 50°N: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 50°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 50°N: -17° high at 9 pm OCT at 50°N: -31° high at 9 pm NOV at 50°N: -35° high at 9 pm DEC at 50°N: -28° high at 9 pm 40°N
JAN at 40°N: -16° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°N: 27° high at 9 pm APR at 40°N: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°N: 44° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°N: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°N: 1° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°N: -22° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°N: -39° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°N: -45° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°N: -36° high at 9 pm 30°N
JAN at 30°N: -20° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°N: 30° high at 9 pm APR at 30°N: 54° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°N: 64° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°N: 50° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°N: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°N: -0° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°N: -26° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°N: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°N: -55° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°N: -43° high at 9 pm 20°N
JAN at 20°N: -22° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°N: 6° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°N: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 20°N: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°N: 74° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°N: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°N: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°N: -1° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°N: -29° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°N: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°N: -65° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°N: -49° high at 9 pm 10°N
JAN at 10°N: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°N: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°N: 33° high at 9 pm APR at 10°N: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°N: 84° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°N: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°N: 28° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°N: -2° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°N: -32° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°N: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°N: -75° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°N: -54° high at 9 pm 0°
JAN at 0°: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 0°: 5° high at 9 pm MAR at 0°: 32° high at 9 pm APR at 0°: 62° high at 9 pm MAY at 0°: 85° high at 9 pm JUN at 0°: 57° high at 9 pm JUL at 0°: 27° high at 9 pm AUG at 0°: -3° high at 9 pm SEP at 0°: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 0°: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 0°: -84° high at 9 pm DEC at 0°: -56° high at 9 pm 10°S
JAN at 10°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 10°S: 4° high at 9 pm MAR at 10°S: 31° high at 9 pm APR at 10°S: 59° high at 9 pm MAY at 10°S: 75° high at 9 pm JUN at 10°S: 54° high at 9 pm JUL at 10°S: 26° high at 9 pm AUG at 10°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 10°S: -34° high at 9 pm OCT at 10°S: -63° high at 9 pm NOV at 10°S: -83° high at 9 pm DEC at 10°S: -57° high at 9 pm 20°S
JAN at 20°S: -26° high at 9 pm FEB at 20°S: 3° high at 9 pm MAR at 20°S: 28° high at 9 pm APR at 20°S: 54° high at 9 pm MAY at 20°S: 65° high at 9 pm JUN at 20°S: 49° high at 9 pm JUL at 20°S: 24° high at 9 pm AUG at 20°S: -4° high at 9 pm SEP at 20°S: -33° high at 9 pm OCT at 20°S: -60° high at 9 pm NOV at 20°S: -74° high at 9 pm DEC at 20°S: -54° high at 9 pm 30°S
JAN at 30°S: -25° high at 9 pm FEB at 30°S: 2° high at 9 pm MAR at 30°S: 25° high at 9 pm APR at 30°S: 47° high at 9 pm MAY at 30°S: 55° high at 9 pm JUN at 30°S: 43° high at 9 pm JUL at 30°S: 21° high at 9 pm AUG at 30°S: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 30°S: -31° high at 9 pm OCT at 30°S: -54° high at 9 pm NOV at 30°S: -64° high at 9 pm DEC at 30°S: -50° high at 9 pm 40°S
JAN at 40°S: -23° high at 9 pm FEB at 40°S: 1° high at 9 pm MAR at 40°S: 21° high at 9 pm APR at 40°S: 39° high at 9 pm MAY at 40°S: 45° high at 9 pm JUN at 40°S: 36° high at 9 pm JUL at 40°S: 18° high at 9 pm AUG at 40°S: -5° high at 9 pm SEP at 40°S: -28° high at 9 pm OCT at 40°S: -47° high at 9 pm NOV at 40°S: -54° high at 9 pm DEC at 40°S: -44° high at 9 pm
below horizon
low
20-40°
40-60°
overhead-ish
The chart gives its height above the horizon at 9 pm through the year, from 60°N to 40°S. It can be seen from the whole northern hemisphere and south to about 86°S.
Messier 61 is 54 million light-years away
The light seen from Messier 61 tonight left it about 54 million years ago, long before modern humans existed. It ranks 102 of 109 by distance among the 110 Messier objects. Distance source: Cepheids, Markham 2026.
Objects within 6° of Messier 61
NGC 4281, galaxy, 59′ NGC 4273, galaxy, 60′ NGC 4261, galaxy, 1.5° NGC 4365, galaxy, 2.9° NGC 4527, galaxy, 3.6° NGC 4536, galaxy, 3.9° NGC 4179, galaxy, 3.9° M49, elliptical galaxy, 4.0°
Messier 61 catalog data
Field Value
Designations M61, NGC 4303, Herschel 400 no. 228, PGC 040001, UGC 07420 Type spiral galaxy Constellation Virgo Right ascension (J2000) 12h 21.9m Declination (J2000) +04° 28′ Magnitude 10.2 Surface brightness 23.1 mag/arcmin² Apparent size 6.5′ × 5.8′ True size 101,500 light-years Distance 54 million light-years (Cepheids, Markham 2026) Best month May Best with Small telescope Messier marathon order 64 Herschel 400 number 228
