M109
Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy
Barred Spiral
Propriétés
Position et Identifiants
Visibilité
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À propos de M109
Description
M109 (the Vacuum Cleaner Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, about 83 million light-years from Earth. It is one of the most distant Messier objects and one of only four barred spirals in the catalog. The galaxy spans about 180,000 light-years and features a prominent central bar with two main spiral arms.
Conseils d'Observation
Located just 40 arcminutes east-southeast of Gamma Ursae Majoris (Phecda), the bottom-left star of the Big Dipper's bowl. The proximity to this bright star can make observation challenging due to glare. In a telescope it appears as a faint, oval glow. The bar is visible in 8-inch or larger telescopes under excellent conditions. One of the fainter Messier galaxies. Best observed from March through June.
Histoire
Discovered by Pierre Mechain on March 12, 1781. It was added to the Messier catalog by Owen Gingerich in 1953. A Type Ia supernova (SN 1956A) was observed in M109 in 1956.
Faits Amusants
M109 is the most prominent member of a large galaxy group (the M109 Group or Ursa Major Cloud) containing over 50 galaxies. At 83 million light-years, it is one of the most distant Messier objects. The barred structure is particularly well-defined and makes it a textbook example of an SBbc barred spiral.
Photos de la Communauté (1)
Credit: KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/George Hatfield and Flynn Haase. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Feb 28, 2026