H-NGC4278
Galaxy in Coma Berenices
About
An E1-2 elliptical galaxy in Coma Berenices, about 55 million light-years away and roughly 65,000 light-years across. It has a LINER-type active nucleus and far more globular clusters than expected, and Hubble images reveal dust near its core, odd for a galaxy of this type.
Imaging tips
- Only about 4′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- NGC 4283 lies about 3.5′ northeast and NGC 4286 about 9′ northeast; they are much fainter, at roughly magnitude 13 and 14.
- NGC 4274 sits about 20′ north, so a wider field is needed to include it alongside.
- Best around March and April; it peaks near 69° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 4′ × 4′
- Magnitude
- 10.2
- Coordinates
- RA 12h 20.1m, Dec +29° 17′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Mar, Apr
- Peak altitude
- 69° from 50°N, 84° from 35°N