Quote from the Deep Sky Field Guide to Uranometria 2000:
Bared Spiral Galaxy, type SAB(rs)a II; Small, diffuse, very bright nucleus in a smooth broad defuse bar with dark lanes; two main smooth arms with strong dark lane in front of lens.
M-65 is a companion of M-66 (about 180,000 l.y. separation ); part of the Leo galaxy group, 30,000,000 light years away. It is about 200 Billion solar masses and 60,000 ly in diameter.
Quote by Charles Messier (March 1st, 1780): “Nebula discovered in Leo: it is very faint and contains no star.”
Quote by W. Herschel: “A very brilliant nebula, extended in the meridian, about 12 minutes long. It has a bright nucleus, the light of which suddenly diminishes on its border, and two opposite faint branches”
Quote by K. G. Jones: “M65 is actually a member of a triple system of galaxies which includes M 66 and NGC 3638 - another Sb galaxy about 35' to the NE.”
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George Normandin, KAS
April 12th, 2002