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NGC 4945

NGC 4945

Drawing data

Object(s):
NGC 4945 Cen GX
NGC 4976 Cen GX
Date(s) of observation:
2012.06.16/17. Hakos
2012.06.18/19. Hakos
2012.06.21/22. Hakos
Place(s) of observation:
Hakos Astrofarm, Namibia, 1835 m amsl.
Telescope(s) used:
4" f/4 Newtonian (Dobson)
Enlargement(s) used:
40x (10mm Delos)
Field size:
1.8°
Author / Observer:
Peter Kiss

Description

NGC 4945 drawing inverted into positive.
NGC 4945 drawing inverted into positive.

NGC 4945 is the second big and bright galaxy in Centaurus after Cen A. The galaxy is not that bright in the little 4" telescope. But it is huge: it occupies a considerable part of the 1.8 degree field. It doesn't have a real core. But its central part - about half of the edge-on spiral - is inhomogenoius. A bright (and inhomogenoius) thread runs on the NW side of the bright part which gets to the other side as you go to the SW (in the fainter part of the galaxy). This is not the most exciting galaxy I have ever seen but the rich Milky Way field with another galaxy, the round and detailless NGC 4976 makes it worth taking a look at.

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