Messier 61 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It is approximately 52 million light-years away from Earth and is classified as a type of SABc galaxy, indicating its intermediate spiral structure. Messier 61 is notable for its active star formation and contains several bright regions of young stars. Discovered by the astronomer Giovanni Battista Hodierna in the 17th century, Messier 61 was later included in the Messier catalog by Charles Messier in 1771. The galaxy has a diameter of about 100,000 light-years and is part of the Virgo Cluster, which contains many other galaxies.