H-NGC4762
Galaxy in Virgo
About
A lenticular galaxy in Virgo seen edge-on, about 58 million light-years away in the Virgo Cluster. Its disc is lopsided and warped, possibly from swallowing a smaller galaxy long ago. Seen from the side, it was once taken for a barred spiral. It is in the Herschel 400.
Imaging tips
- At 2690–4490 mm on APS-C the thin sliver, about 9′ by 2′, fits the frame with room around it.
- Faint at 22.1 mag/arcsec², and the disc is a narrow band, so plan many hours of broadband data.
- A visual observer found NGC 4754, a similar lenticular seen at a different angle, in the same low-power field, so look for it nearby.
- Best around March and April; it peaks near 51° from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 9′ × 2′
- Magnitude
- 10.3
- Coordinates
- RA 12h 52.9m, Dec +11° 14′
- Framing, APS-C
- 2690–4490 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Mar, Apr
- Peak altitude
- 51° from 50°N, 66° from 35°N