It is located in the constellation Cetus at a distance of 45 million light-years from Earth. M77 has an apparent magnitude of 9.6 and can be seen using a small telescope.

M77 is a notable 9th magnitude face-on barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Cetus. This galaxy contains an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), which although obscured by dust at visible wavelengths is detectable due to strong emissions in the infrared, ultraviolet, and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Looking like a broad-brimmed Mexican hat, the “Sombrero” galaxy, M104, is a spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on. This stunning Hubble image of M104, also known as the Sombrero galaxy, is one of the largest mosaics ever assembled from Hubble observations.

NGC 1068 is a nearby spiral galaxy containing a black hole at its center that is twice as massive as the Milky Way's. X-ray images and spectra from Chandra show that a million- mile-per-hour wind is being driven from NGC 1068's black hole. This wind has an impact on how the galaxy evolves.