Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565)

NGC 4565
NGC 4565: Edge-On galaxy in Coma Berenices; Takahashi MT-160, 16 cm Newton, f/6.25; Canon EOS 20D; Vixen New Atlux; 9x5 min @ 1600 ASA; Gurnigelpass, 1600 m AMSL; © 2. 4. 2005 Manuel Jung
NGC 4565
NGC 4565: Edge-On Galaxy in Coma Berenices; 500 mm Cassegrain 5800 mm f/11.4; SBIG STL11K; 60+10+10+10 min LRGB; Bernese Highlands; © 2005 Radek Chromik
NGC 4565
NGC 4565: Edge-On Galaxy in Coma Berenices; RC 500 on Herkules V48 mount; SBIG STL-11000M/C2; -25 °C chip temperature, L unbinned 7x10 min, R 2x2 binning 5x10 min, G 2x2 binning 4x10 min, B 2x2 binning, 4x10 min; Son Bi Observatory, Mallorca; © 14.-15. 1. 2016 Beat Kohler, Hansjörg Wälchli

History

This galaxy was discovered by William Herschel on 6th April 1785 and cataloged as V 24 (class V = very large nebulae). As for most of his discoveries he was using his 18.7 inch reflecting telescope with 20 feet focal length. He described the galaxy as «a lucid ray 20' long or more, 3 or 4' broad, north preceeding, south following, very bright in the middle, a beautiful appearance». [463]

Physical Properties

NGC 4565 is the largest of the Edge-On galaxies — i. e. a spiral galaxy which we see from its side. It has been nicknamed the «Needle Galaxy» and is of morphological type Sab. It is an outlying and close member of the Virgo cluster, although it lies about 13° north of its main concentration. Radial velocity measurements range from 1178 km/s to 1282 km/s, distance measurements vary from 12 Mpc to 18 Mpc (39 to 58 million light years). [4, 145, 196]

Revised+Historic NGC/IC, Version 22/9, © Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke [277]
NameRADecTypebMagvMagB-VSBDimPAzD(z)MDDreyer DescriptionIdentification, Remarks
NGC 456212 35 34.5+25 50 58Gx (SBcd)14.113.40.714.02.4 × 0.7480.00451319.0612.500S, sp V 24NGC 4565A, UGC 7758, MCG 4-30-4, CGCG 129-8, KUG 1233+261
NGC 456512 36 20.5+25 59 16Gx (Sb)10.49.60.813.315.8 × 2.11360.00410317.3312.890B, eL, eE 135°, vsbMN = * 10·11UGC 7772, MCG 4-30-6, CGCG 129-10, FGC 1471, KUG 1233+262
NGC 4565 A12 35 34.5+25 50 58dup14.113.40.714.02.4 × 0.7480.00451319.0612.500B, eL, eE 135°, vsbMN = * 10·11NGC 4562, UGC 7758, MCG 4-30-4, CGCG 129-8, KUG 1233+261
NGC 4565 B12 35 41.6+26 13 21dup15.314.60.713.20.8 × 0.41350.02146590.67B, eL, eE 135°, vsbMN = * 10·11IC 3546, MCG 4-30-5, CGCG 129-9, CGCG 159-20, KUG 1233+264
NGC 4565 C12 35 41.3+26 17 12dup16.515.80.713.00.9 × 0.11420.02139890.38B, eL, eE 135°, vsbMN = * 10·11IC 3543, UGC 7764, FGC 1466, KUG 1233+265
IC 357112 36 19.9+26 05 03Gx (Irr)17.516.90.614.10.3 × 0.30.00420317.75eF, S, iF, others nrReiz 2601
IC 358212 36 36.9+26 14 05Gx (C)17.216.21.012.50.2 × 0.20.02277396.19F, vS, com, bM, others nr

Finder Chart

The Needle Galaxy is located in the constellation Coma Berenices just 1.7° east of the variable binary star 17 Comae, which at mag 5.25 is still visible to the unaided eye. The galaxy is best observed from January to July.

Finder Chart Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565)
Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565) in constellation Coma Berenices. 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]

Visual Observation

400 mm Aperture: In the 21 mm ethos (85x) the galaxy NGC 4565 stands out as a bright, long, thin stripe with a thickened centre. The dust band is well visible here. With increasing magnification, the contrast increases compared to the sky background. — 400 mm f/4.5 Taurus Dobsonian, Glaubenberg, SQM 21.34, a bit windy, Sahara dust and hazy und dunstig, 22. 5. 2022, Bernd Nies

More Objects Nearby (±15°)

References

  • [4] «Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System» by Robert Burnham; Dover Publications, Inc.; Voume I: ISBN 0-486-23567-X; Volume II: ISBN 0-486-23568-8; Volume III: ISBN 0-486-23673-0
  • [145] SIMBAD astronomical database; simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad
  • [149] SkySafari 6 Pro, Simulation Curriculum; skysafariastronomy.com
  • [160] The STScI Digitized Sky Survey; archive.stsci.edu/cgi-bin/dss_form
  • [196] Celestial Atlas by Curtney Seligman; cseligman.com/text/atlas.htm (2020-12-28)
  • [277] «Historische Deep-Sky Kataloge» von Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke; klima-luft.de/steinicke (2021-02-17)
  • [463] «Catalogue of one thousand new nebulae and clusters of stars» William Herschel, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1 January 1786; DOI:10.1098/rstl.1786.0027