H-NGC3893
Galaxy in Ursa Major
About
A face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, about 50 million light-years away and some 70,000 light-years across. It interacts with its smaller neighbour NGC 3896, which has produced tidal warps and a gas bridge between the two. A luminous red nova was seen in it in October 2023. It is in the Herschel 400.
Imaging tips
- At 4′ × 3′ it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- NGC 3896, the smaller galaxy it interacts with, sits nearby, about 3.9′ away.
- Surface brightness is 21.8 mag/arcsec², so plan many hours of broadband data.
- One imager used 15-minute luminance subs at 2541 mm and saw signs of tidal disturbance caused by NGC 3896.
- Best from February to April; it peaks near 89° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 4′ × 3′
- Magnitude
- 10.5
- Coordinates
- RA 11h 48.7m, Dec +48° 43′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Feb, Mar, Apr
- Peak altitude
- 89° from 50°N, 76° from 35°N