H-NGC278
Galaxy in Cassiopeia
About
A weakly barred spiral galaxy in Cassiopeia, about 38 to 40 million light-years away and only 2′ across. Hubble images show a bright centre, with an inner ring about 6,500 light-years wide where a burst of star formation is under way.
Imaging tips
- At about 2′ across it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Its surface brightness is 21.0 mag/arcsec², so the challenge is size rather than faintness; galaxies need broadband filters.
- Star formation is limited to the inner ring, so the blue knots sit close to the core.
- Best around September and October, when it passes almost overhead, peaking near 88° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 2′ × 2′
- Magnitude
- 10.9
- Coordinates
- RA 0h 52.1m, Dec +47° 33′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Sep, Oct
- Peak altitude
- 88° from 50°N, 78° from 35°N