Messier 65 (also known as NGC 3623) is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo, within its highly equatorial southern half.

This error was in turn picked up by Kenneth Glyn Jones in Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters.

[5] To the eye, M65's disk appears slightly warped, and its relatively recent burst of star formation is also suggestive of some external disturbance.

Rots (1978) suggests that the two other galaxies in the Leo Triplet interacted with each other about 800 million years ago.

He also notes that M65 may have a central bar—it is difficult to tell because the galaxy is seen from an oblique angle—a feature which is suggestive of tidal disruption.