Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C29 (NGC 5005) Spiral Galaxy 13h 10m 56s +37° 03′ 33″ Canes Venatici +9.6 4.8×1.5 arcmin Overview This stunning galaxy is a member of the 29-strong group of galaxies known as the Canes Venatici Spur. C29 (NGC 5005) is a broadly unknown distance away from us, with […]
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C26 (NGC 4244) Spiral Galaxy 12h 17m 30s +37° 48′ 28″ Canes Venatici 9.9 16×7 arcmins Overview The Silver Needle galaxy is a beautiful edge-on spiral discovered by William Herschel in March 1787. A member of the 240-strong Canes Venatici I Cloud of galaxies, C26 lies beyond
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size C32 (NGC 4631) Spiral Galaxy 12h 42m 08s +32° 32′ 31″ Canes Venatici +8.9 14×2 arcmins Overview If you’ve looked in the table above, especially at the size of this galaxy, you might have already guessed that it is edge-on to us because it’s width is given
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M3 (NGC 5272) Globular Cluster 13h 42m 12s +28° 22′ 38″ Canes Venatici +6.2 18 arcmins Overview The Jellyfish cluster is a globular cluster in the tiny constellation of Canes Venatici, and is the third entry in the Messier catalog. Messier discovered it in 1764 (it was
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M51 (NGC 5194) Spiral Galaxy 13h 29m 53s +47° 11′ 43″ Canes Venatici +7.9 14×12 arcmin Overview Messier discovered what he called ‘A very faint nebulae without stars’ in October 1773. We since discovered the concept of galaxies – there was no such thing in Messier’s time
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M106 (NGC 4258) Spiral Galaxy 12h 18m 58s +47° 18′ 14″ Canes Venatici +8.3 17.0×7.2 arcmin Overview M106 is one of those curious entries in the Messier catalog that wasn’t actually added by Messier himself. The galaxy was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 but was added
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M63 (NGC 5055) Spiral Galaxy 13h 15m 49s +42° 01′ 45″ Canes Venatici +8.52 11.8×7.2 arcmins Overview This galaxy, as you can see below, produces a stunning image of vast, roiling clouds of stars. It’s not a big leap of the imagination to see why it is
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Target Type R. A. Dec. Constellation Magnitudes Size NGC 4449 (Caldwell 21) Irregular Barred Dwarf Galaxy 12h 28m 11s +44° 05′ 37″ Canes Venatici +9.15 4.7 x 2.7 arcmin Overview The Box Galaxy fooled astronomers for 150 years into thinking it was a nebula. When you see the image below, it’s hard to imagine that
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Target Type R.A. Dec. Constellation Magnitude Size M94 (NGC 4736) Spiral Galaxy 12h 50m 23s +41° 07′ 13″ Canes Venatici 7.88 7.7 x 6.7 arcmin Overview When Charles Messier first set eyes on this galaxy, he believed it to be a nebula. That’s not surprising, for two reasons: it’s easy to see that it does
M94, Croc’s Eye Galaxy in Canes Venatici Read More »
Target Type Right Ascension Declination Constellation Magnitude Size M3 Globular Cluster 13h 43m 07s +28° 16′ 39″ Canes Venatici +6.2 18.0 arcminutes The Jellyfish cluster is a globular cluster in the tiny constellation of Canes Venatici, and is the third entry in the Messier catalogue. It is a bright cluster on the cusp of being
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