NGC 4244 (Caldwell 26) – The Silver Needle Galaxy
March 19, 2021
Use mouse wheel to zoom, drag to pan, and buttons for other options
Thirteen million light years away in Canes Venatici, the spiral galaxy NGC 4244 slowly spins. Seen edge on in this image, the Silver Needle doesn’t have the kind of central bulge we are accustomed to seeing.
The Silver Needle is only 65,000 light years in diameter, which makes it just over half the size of our Milky Way. Scientists consider it to be a low-mass galaxy with a low rate of star formation. The central region of NGC 4244 contains an unusual rotating star cluster.
Celestron 1100 EdgeHD - ASI6200MM
Telescope
Finder Chart
Click to expand
Total integration: 3h 52m
Integration per filter:
- Optolong L-Pro: 2h 40m (80 × 120")
- Optolong L-Pro: 1h 12m (24 × 180")
Coordinates: 12h 17m 30.195s · +37° 49′ 5.5″
Image Capture
Location:
Back yard in North Dallas
Awards
