M63!

Despite finding my first Messier object (M13) at age 13, nearly 30 years ago (I wondered if I'd discovered a comet in my Edmund Astroscan), I have not yet made it through Messier's list in full. A few years ago, after I'd come to own optical aid again, I listed the ones I had missed. M63 was included in the list, but I checked that galaxy off on Saturday (March 8) night late, when I found it with a 100mm f/6 refractor from the backyard. There was M63, near a certain star, just where the nearby asterism pointed to it. In fact, even in the 100mm refractor, M63 at 75x was oval and its surface did not have a glow that was uniform across its face. I would say it was speckled. I noticed this only on the side nearest the star. I was only out for an hour, but I also observed M104, M65, M66, Gamma Leonis, Cor Caroli (easily resolved at 25x), Mizar & Alcor, and Xi UMa.