Silver Needle Galaxy (NGC 4244)

NGC 4244
NGC 4244: Galaxy in Canes Venatici; 500 mm Cassegrain 5800mm f11.4; SBIG STL11K; 80-10-10-10 min LRGB; Bernese Highlands; © 2005 Radek Chromik [32]

Object Description

The galaxy NGC 4244 was discovered on 17 March 1787 by the German-British astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm (William) Herschel with his 18.7 inch reflecting telescope. [277] This is a spiral galaxy, which we are looking at directly on the edge. It is at a distance of about 3.1 to 5.7 Mpc (10 to 18 million light years). [145] It belongs to the Canes Venatici I galaxy group, which also includes M 94, which is a subgroup of the Virgo galaxy cluster.

Revised+Historic NGC/IC Version 22/9, © 2022 Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
Designation NGC 4244
Type Gx (Sc)
Right Ascension (J2000.0) 12h 17m 29.9s
Declination (J2000.0) +37° 48' 28"
Diameter 16.6 × 1.9 arcmin
Photographic (blue) magnitude 10.9 mag
Visual magnitude 10.4 mag
Surface brightness 14.0 mag·arcmin-2
Position Angle 48°
Redshift (z) 0.000815
Distance derived from z 3.44 Mpc
Metric Distance 4.630 Mpc
Dreyer Description pB, vL, eE 43°, vgbM
Identification, Remarks WH V 41; h 1167; GC 2831; UGC 7322; MCG 6-27-45; CGCG 187-35; FGC 1402; IRAS 12150+3804

Finder Chart

The galaxy NGC 4244 is located in the constellation Canes Venatici. The best time to view this circumpolar constellation is January to July, when it is highest at night.

Finder Chart Silver Needle Galaxy (NGC 4244)
Silver Needle Galaxy (NGC 4244) in constellation Canes Venatici. Charts created using SkySafari 6 Pro and STScI Digitized Sky Survey. Limiting magnitudes: Constellation chart ~6.5 mag, DSS2 close-ups ~20 mag. [149, 160]

Objects Within a Radius of 10°

References