Andrew Cooper
Feb 10, 2013    Hale Pohaku, HI (map)
46cm f/4.5 Newtonian, Deep Violet @ 175x
Seeing: 6 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A bright core surrounded by a large faint halo, the core is almost stellar and centered in a bright central region about 2' x 1', a much larger faint halo surrounds about 8' x 4' extended north to south, the axis of the iner region does not align with the outer halo, M65 is visible 20' west and NGC3628 is visible 35' north

Andrew Cooper
Feb 28, 1998    Las Cienegas NCA, Pima Co., AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Inclined spiral with noticeable nucleus

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)

Two rather faint objects, elongated visually in different directions, in a low power field, with several stars. s (M66) rather the larger and brighter; D'A., 'magnifica;' 6'x2'. The other resolved in centre. L.P. both spiral.

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

Charles Messier
Jan 1, 1780    

Nebula discovered in Leo; its light is very faint & it is very close to preceding [M65]: They both appear in the same field in the refractor. The comet of 1773 & 1774 has passed between these two nebulæ on November 1 to 2, 1773. M. Messier didn't see them at that time, no doubt, because of the light of the comet.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781

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