M 96

Messier 96 (also known as M96 or NGC 3368) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo(the Lion). It was discovered by French astronomer Pierre Méchain on March 20, 1781. After communicating his finding, French astronomer Charles Messier confirmed the finding four days later and added it to his catalogue of nebulous objects.

Messier 96 is about the same mass and size as the Milky Way. Messier 96 is a very asymmetric galaxy; its dust and gas are unevenly spread throughout its weak spiral arms, and its core is not exactly at the galactic center. Its arms are also asymmetrical, thought to have been influenced by the gravitational pull of other galaxies within the same group as Messier 96.

L = 12 * 1800 sec. bin1, RGB = 10 * 1200 sec. bin2, Ha = 12 * 1800 sec. bin2, OIII = 11 * 1800 sec. bin2.

Total exposition - 27.5 hours.

Pixinsight 1.8, Photoshop.