Friday December 27, 2024

The Silver Sliver Galaxy (all night)

NGC 891 is a magnitude 10.8, edge-on spiral galaxy, 30 million light-years away. It's located 3.5 degrees east of the bright star Almach (Gamma Andromedae). Galaxies that are oriented edge-on to Earth appear brighter because their total light output is concentrated into a smaller area. Use averted vision and look for a slash of light with a thickened core and tapered ends 12 arc-minutes in length. Owners of larger aperture telescopes should try to see a narrow, dark dust lane bisecting the galaxy's core and disk.

(Data courtesy of Starry Night
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* Origin: CJ's Place, Orange City FL > cjsplace.thruhere.net (954:100/61)