C62
Galaxy in Cetus
About
NGC 247 lies in Cetus, about 11 million light-years away, a spiral galaxy that belongs to the Sculptor Group. One side of its disk holds a large void of older, redder stars, which earned it the nickname Needle's Eye.
Imaging tips
- About 20′ by 6′ on the sky, so 1,230–2,050 mm on APS-C frames it. NGC 253 lies roughly 4.5° away, in a much wider field.
- Faint for its size at 22.9 mag/arcsec², and a galaxy suits broadband, so plan many hours of luminance and colour data.
- A foreground star of magnitude 9.5 sits on the southern edge of the disk, so it will be in your frame.
- Best around September and October, but it stays below 19° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 19.7′ × 5.6′
- Magnitude
- 9.2
- Coordinates
- RA 0h 47.2m, Dec −20° 46′
- Framing, APS-C
- 1230–2050 mm
- Framing, full frame
- 1880–3140 mm
- Best months
- Sep, Oct
- Peak altitude
- 19° from 50°N, 34° from 35°N