M109

barred spiral galaxy · in Ursa Major

68 million light-years from Earth

One of the farthest of all the Messier objects. A strong bar runs across its middle and ends in a ring, and its hydrogen has a hole exactly where the bar is, probably swept inward by it. Three small spiral galaxies keep it company.

• about 68 million light-years · about 140,000 light-years across
• its distance is uncertain: 68 to 82 million light-years by different counts

kind

galaxy

catalogue

M109 · NGC 3992

size

140,000 light-years across