Magellanic-type galaxy · Corvus
NGC 4039 Antennae Galaxies
Also known as: C61
mag 11.05.4′ across
About
NGC 4039 (Antennae Galaxies) is a Magellanic-type galaxy of magnitude 11.0 in Corvus, about 5.4′ across.
How to find it
- NGC 4039 is in the constellation Corvus.
- Best evenings: around early May 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 61° 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)Too faint for binoculars.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)A faint oval glow with a brighter middle — no spiral arms without a camera.
For a dark country sky with no Moon. From a city, faint galaxies and nebulae can disappear completely.
Facts
| Designations | NGC 4039, C61, PGC 37969, UGCA 265 |
|---|---|
| Type | Magellanic-type galaxy (SBm) |
| Magnitude | 11.0The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Apparent size | 5.4′ × 2.7′position angle 50°; the full Moon is 31′ across |
| Surface brightness | 22.8 mag/arcsec²Average over its disc, in the blue band: the lower the number, the easier it is to see. |
| Constellation | Corvus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 12h 01m 53.5s |
| Declination (J2000) | −18° 53′ 10″ |
More in Corvus
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 →