M105 is one of a number of Leo's galaxies that does not exist alone, but makes just one of three galaxies to appear in the same eyepiece field, making a stunning group. The brighter of its two companions, NGC3384, is only slightly smaller and less bright than M105 itself, so it perhaps slightly surprising that Messier did not list it. The third of the trio, NGC3389, is considerably dimmer and not easy to see. M105 is an elliptical galaxy, appearing quite evenly bright in photographs, but visually both it and NGC3384 had a rather uneven appearance.