H-NGC5846
Galaxy in Virgo
About
A round giant elliptical galaxy in Virgo, roughly 93 million light-years away, and the leading member of a galaxy group. Hubble found more than 1,200 globular clusters around it. Its barred neighbour NGC 5850 may have passed it at high speed some 200 million years ago.
Imaging tips
- About 4′ across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- NGC 5846A lies only 0.7′ from the centre, inside the galaxy's own glow, while NGC 5850 sits about 10′ away, so a wider field is needed for both.
- One imager caught both galaxies in a single frame with a 1600 mm focal length, a 20 mm sensor and seven 6-minute exposures.
- Best around April and May; it peaks near 42° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 4′ × 4′
- Magnitude
- 10.0
- Coordinates
- RA 15h 6.5m, Dec +1° 36′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Apr, May
- Peak altitude
- 42° from 50°N, 57° from 35°N