H-NGC936
Galaxy in Cetus
About
In Cetus, NGC 936 is a lenticular galaxy with a bar, placed at 50 to 60 million light-years by different sources. It is on the Herschel 400 list. A bright bar runs through its bulge inside a ring of stars. The resemblance to a Star Wars fighter gave it the nickname Darth Vader's Galaxy.
Imaging tips
- At 5×4′ it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale. One imager worked at 1085 mm.
- Surface brightness is about 22 mag/arcsec², so plan broadband data. One imager logged 3 hours of LRGB, 90 min of it luminance in 3-minute subs.
- Another imager's log lists 5 h 15 min of LRGB: 2 h 45 min luminance and 50 min per colour channel.
- The spiral NGC 941 lies about 12.6′ from it, and one imager's 1085 mm frame also caught UGC 1945.
- Best in October and November; it peaks near 39° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 5′ × 4′
- Magnitude
- 10.1
- Coordinates
- RA 2h 27.6m, Dec −1° 9′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Oct, Nov
- Peak altitude
- 39° from 50°N, 54° from 35°N