C26
Galaxy in Canes Venatici
About
NGC 4244, the Silver Needle, an edge-on spiral in Canes Venatici roughly 14 million light-years away and part of the M94 Group. Seen from the side, it is a thin streak of stars cut lengthwise by dust, with pink star-forming clouds and blue knots along it.
Imaging tips
- At 1500–2490 mm on APS-C the galaxy fills a third to half of the frame as a long thin streak, so choose a long focal length.
- Faint at 24 mag/arcsec², so it rewards many hours: one published image combined luminance and colour data for over 21 hours.
- Colour matters here as well as luminance: one published image added a separate colour camera to the luminance data.
- Best around March and April; it climbs to about 78° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 16.2′ × 7.2′
- Magnitude
- 10.2
- Coordinates
- RA 12h 17.5m, Dec +37° 48′
- Framing, APS-C
- 1500–2490 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 2290–3820 mm
- Best months
- Mar, Apr
- Peak altitude
- 78° from 50°N, 87° from 35°N