C40
Galaxy in Leo
About
A lenticular galaxy in Leo, about 70 million light-years away, with a bright bulge and a smooth disk but no prominent spiral arms. Much of its neutral hydrogen turns the opposite way to most of its stars, which may point to a past merger with a gas-rich companion. William Herschel found it in 1784.
Imaging tips
- Only about 2.9′ × 1.9′, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- At 21.5 mag/arcsec² it is moderately faint for a galaxy, and galaxies need broadband data.
- With no spiral arms, the bright core and the smooth outer envelope are what the picture will show.
- It sits roughly 5° northeast of Regulus. Best around February and March; it peaks near 58° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 2.9′ × 1.9′
- Magnitude
- 11.0
- Coordinates
- RA 11h 20.0m, Dec +18° 21′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Feb, Mar
- Peak altitude
- 58° from 50°N, 73° from 35°N