2012 12 13 – NGC 2276, NGC 2300, IC 455
(Click on the image below to view in higher contrast and resolution.)
Labeled
NGC 2276, NGC 2300 and IC 455 make a nice trio of galaxies in the constellation Cepheus near Polaris.
Finder view from Starry Nights
NGC 2276 (Arp 25, UGC 3740 and also Arp 114 when combined with NGC 2300)
Galaxy SAB (r) bc II in Cepheus, RA 07h 27m 10.2s, Dec +85º 45′ 19″, 2.6’x2.5′, SB 13.8, 11.8 vm. Discovered by Friedrich August Theodor Winnecke in 1876. Approximately 110-150 million light-years away, depending on the source.
Faint, face-on spiral galaxy with a slightly brightened center. NE edge fainter and diffuse making it appear slightly elongated. Located 2 arcminutes ENE of magnitude 8.4 star. Arp made two entries for this object. One by itself as a spiral with one heavy arm and the other to include NGC 2300 with it as somewhat peculiar and possibly perturbed.
Arp’s image of Arp 114 that includes NGC 2276 and NGC 2300 – flip both vertically and horizontally to match sketch
NGC 2300 (UGC 3798, Arp 114 when paired with NGC 2276)
Galaxy SA0 in Cepheus, RA 07h 32m 19.7s, Dec +85º 42′ 33″, 2.8’x2.0′, SB 12.9, 11.1 vm. Discovered by Alphonse Louis Nicholas Borrelly in 1871.
Moderately bright, elongated west to east, brightened center that almost appears stellar, diffuse edges. NGC 2276 is 6 arcminutes NW of it with an 11th magnitude star centered between the two galaxies.
IC 455
Galaxy S0 in Cepheus, RA 07h 34m 57.7s, Dec +85º 32′ 16″, 1.1’x0.7′, 13.3 apparent magnitude, SB 12.9.
Stellar core, very faint. Located 10.5 arcminutes SSE of NGC 2300.
Eyepiece sketch on white photocopy paper with black super-fine felt tipped pen for and #2 pencil, blending stump for the nebulosity. Template is available for download: PCW Observation Form.
PCW Memorial Observatory - Erika Rix 