Of the M95/96 pair Walter Scott Houston wrote uncharacteristically that "They are not breathtaking (to say the least) and for users of small telescopes a good description is that they are bright enough to be seen."  But don't let that bland description turn you away from this pair; there is more to them that first meets the eye.

M95 is the westernmost member of this pair of bright galaxies which are separated by about 42', putting them in the same field of view for scopes capable of wide field views.   Smyth described it as a "lucid white nebula... round and bright."  It has a distinctly bright, starlike core.

In my 18-inch the best view of M95 came at 94x.  The bright stellar core was very distinct.  The elongated haze of the galaxy had superimposed upon it a brighter rounder inner region.  Photographs of this galaxy show a round galactic bulge with large bars extending out to a round ring.  I wonder, if the galaxy appeared elongated to me, is that because I was seeing the bars?  If so, I wonder what aperture is required to "see" this feature?  I have read some reports on the web that suggest the bar is an easy feature.  The next chance I get I'll try to verify the shape and direction of the visual feature.  You can do this yourself using the image here as a guide.

The field in an 6-inch f/8 at 50x.  North is down and east is to the right.