🌟 Three Bright Messier Galaxies Close Together
The M96 Group includes M95, M96, and M105, all within about a degree of each other. This rare clustering of Messier galaxies makes it easy to observe multiple major targets in a single session. Each has its own distinctive structure—spiral, barred spiral, and elliptical—giving stargazers a balanced sampling of galaxy types without needing to hop far across the sky.

🌟 Excellent for Small and Medium Telescopes
All three main members are relatively bright, ranging from magnitude 9 to 10, making them accessible to observers using 4-inch to 8-inch telescopes. Even under suburban skies, their bright cores are visible, and larger apertures will begin to reveal more detail, including faint spiral arms and nearby companions like NGC 3384.

🌟 Perfect Springtime Target
Located in Leo, the M96 Group is perfectly positioned during the months of March through May, when it climbs high overhead in the evening sky. This reduces atmospheric distortion and puts the galaxies in an ideal position for extended viewing and astrophotography during comfortable spring nights.

🌟 A Great Introduction to Galaxy Groups
Unlike sprawling galaxy clusters that require large telescopes or dark skies to appreciate fully, the M96 Group is a compact and manageable galaxy group. It’s a perfect introduction for amateur astronomers interested in observing multiple galaxies in a gravitationally bound system, with clear visual separations and proximity on the sky.

🌟 Rich Field for Imaging and Sketching
For astrophotographers and visual sketchers, this group provides excellent composition opportunities. The proximity of multiple galaxies in one field allows for wide-field astrophotography that tells a galactic story, while observers can challenge themselves to capture the subtle structure and brightness variations among the group’s members.

🌟 Science in Action: Galactic Interaction
The galaxies in the M96 Group show signs of gravitational interaction—asymmetries, distorted spiral arms, and star-forming regions—all indicating dynamic processes at work. Observing this group gives you a window into how galaxies evolve within clusters, and it’s a subtle reminder that these are not static objects but part of a cosmic ballet.

Find the constellation Leo below the Big Dipper. Identify its main stars especially bright Regulus (+1.4) and much dimmer Chertan (+3.32) 16° away.

Point to k Leonis (+5.48) which is close to the halfway point between Chertan and Regulus. Since this star will be too dim to see naked eye in most skies, simply estimate its location, point and then find it using your telescope finder or a low-powered eyepiece. It should be easily visible this way. This step may be quite challenging so be prepared to try multiple times.

Using a low-powered eyepiece, hop about 1.5° to M105. Look next to it for NGC 3384. Hop less than 1° to find M96 and then about the same distance to M95. With a low-powered eyepiece, it may be possible to view two or more of these galaxies at the same time. Then explore each using higher powers.

✅ Use a Wide-Field Eyepiece to Frame Multiple Galaxies
The galaxies in the M96 Group are packed within just a few degrees, so a wide-field eyepiece (around 30–40x magnification) will let you see two or even three galaxies in the same field. This makes it easier to compare brightness and structure side by side.

✅ Start with M96 and Work Outward
Begin with M96, the brightest member, located midway between Regulus and Theta Leonis. Once centered, use slow, deliberate sweeps to find M95 just west and M105 slightly northeast, often accompanied by NGC 3384 nearby.

✅ Observe from a Dark Sky Site if Possible
Although the Messier galaxies are visible in suburban skies, the group’s full richness—especially fainter members like NGC 3389—emerges under Bortle 1–4 skies. Dark conditions improve contrast and help faint halos and structure become noticeable.

✅ Let Your Eyes Adjust and Use Averted Vision
Give your eyes at least 15–20 minutes to adapt to the dark. Use averted vision—looking slightly to the side of each galaxy—to better detect faint outer regions and distinguish galaxy shapes.

✅ Avoid the Moon and Check Transparency
Even a half-full Moon can wash out fainter companions in this group. Choose moonless nights with good transparency to get the most detail and clarity from each galaxy.

✅ Try Moderate Power for Structural Details
After finding the group at low power, switch to moderate magnification (75–120x) to bring out structure in the spiral arms of M95 and M96 or to split the close pair of M105 and NGC 3384. Subtle features often sharpen with slightly increased magnification.

❌ Naked Eye
With the naked eye, the Messier 96 Group is completely invisible. None of its galaxies is bright enough to be seen unaided, even under pristine dark skies.

⚠️ Binoculars
Through binoculars, the group remains elusive. M96 and M95 might appear as extremely faint, unresolved smudges under ideal conditions with large astronomy binoculars, but most observers will not detect them without a telescope.

✅ Small Telescope
In a small telescope of around 4 inches in aperture, M96 becomes visible as a small, soft glow with a brighter core. M95 and M105 are also detectable nearby, though they appear as faint, round patches with little structure. Their close grouping makes this a rewarding sight even without fine detail.

✅ Medium Telescope
A medium telescope of 6 to 8 inches begins to reveal more. M96 shows a bright nucleus and a slightly elongated disk, while M95 hints at its barred spiral shape. M105 appears round and diffuse, and its companion, NGC 3384, becomes visible as a second glow nearby. Under good skies, NGC 3389 may also appear as a dim, elongated haze.

✅ Large Telescope
In a large telescope of 10 inches or more, the group comes to life. Spiral structure begins to emerge in M96 and M95, especially with averted vision. M105 and NGC 3384 are bright and well separated, and fainter galaxies in the area, including NGC 3389, become easier to see. The variety of shapes and orientations makes this group an engaging deep-sky study.

🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, the Messier 96 Group is richly rewarding. The three main galaxies—M95, M96, and M105—stand out with clearly defined shapes, and their surrounding halos and subtle structure become visible. Fainter companions like NGC 3384 and NGC 3389 (blue in photograph above) also emerge with ease, making the group feel full and dynamic.

🔵 In Bortle 3–4 skies, the group remains strong. M96 and M105 are bright and distinct, while M95 appears slightly fainter but still noticeable. Some outer structure begins to fade, yet most companions are still detectable with moderate effort and averted vision.

🟡 In Bortle 5–6 skies, the group loses contrast. M96 remains the most prominent, with M105 and M95 visible but more subdued. Fainter members like NGC 3384 are difficult to detect, and outer details are mostly lost in the skyglow.

🟠 In Bortle 7+ skies, only the cores of M96, M105, and perhaps M95 may be seen as faint, featureless glows. The group loses its sense of variety and depth, and fainter members become nearly impossible to spot.