Elliptical galaxy · Sextans
NGC 3115 Spindle Galaxy
Also known as: C53
mag 9.17.1′ across
About
NGC 3115, the Spindle Galaxy, is an elliptical galaxy of magnitude 9.1 in Sextans, about 7.1′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 3115 is in the constellation Sextans.
- Best evenings: around early April it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 72° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesNot visible to the naked eye.
- Binoculars (10×50)A faint smudge, only from a dark site.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A smooth oval glow, brightening towards the centre.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 3115, C53, PGC 29265, UGCA 199 |
|---|---|
| Type | Elliptical galaxy (E-S0) |
| Magnitude | 9.1The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 7.1′ × 3′position angle 43°; the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Surface brightness | 23.0 mag/arcsec²Average over its disc, in the blue band: the lower the number, the easier it is to see. |
| Constellation | Sextans |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 10h 05m 14.0s |
| Declination (J2000) | −07° 43′ 07″ |
More in Sextans
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Sources and credits
Catalog data: OpenNGC by Mattia Verga, CC BY-SA 4.0, and d3-celestial by Olaf Frohn, BSD 3-Clause. All data sources →