M66, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo the Lion, reveals blue star clusters, pink star-forming regions, and a vast halo of unresolved stars. This galaxy spans 100,000 light-years and is quite close, lying “only” 35 million light-years away.

Messier 66 or M66, also known as NGC 3627, is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Leo. It was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier on March 1, 1780, who described it as “very long and very faint”. This galaxy is a member of a small group of galaxies that includes M65 and NGC 3628, known as the Leo Triplet, or the M66 Group. M65 and M66 make a popular pair for observers, being separated by only 20′.