Messier 74 (M74)

The perfect face-on spiral, often called a miniature Andromeda for its clean two-armed form.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Its two prominent arms trace near-ideal density waves, the textbook grand design.
• Three supernovae have flared in it since 2002, including the unusual SN 2013ej.
• Méchain discovered it in 1780; it is among the fainter Messier objects for small telescopes.

Specifications & Metrics

• GALAXY TYPE: Grand-design spiral (SAc)
• DISTANCE: ~30 million light-years