NGC 4565 stands along the eastern edge of the Coma Berenices star cluster. You'll find it about 3 degrees southeast of 4.4 magnitude Gamma (15)Comae Berenices. While Coma Berenices is fairly easy to detect with the naked eye from a dark sky site, identifying the individual stars is somewhat of a challenge. Take your time with this star hop. Begin at Gamma Com. You will encounter 4.9 magnitude 14 Com 1 degree to the south. 5.0 magnitude 16 Com comes into view about half-a-degree further to the south-southeast. Continue for another degree to the south-southeast, and you'll land on 5.3 magnitude 17 Com. You can confirm this area by noting three 6th magnitude stars in a triangular arrangement immediately to the west of 17 Com. NGC 4565 is 1.7 degrees due east of 17 Comae Berenices.
| Spring Sky Tour: NGC 4565 (Coma Berenices) RA: 12h 36.3m / DEC: +25° 59'.1 |
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Revised: March 3, 2002 [WDF]
NGC 4565 is arguably the most-observed edge-on spiral galaxy in the sky. This galaxy is a must see for observers with any telescope. 9.1 magnitude HD 109718 marks the field, just 7' south of the galaxy. NGC 4565 extends fully 14' in length when viewed at 82X in my 10-inch Newtonian. The galaxy's nucleus appears as a 2' thick oval bulge. The dark lane can be traced 5' on either side of the nuclear region. Close inspection of he outer reaches of the galactic disk reveals delicate mottling. Simply put, NGC 4565 is a showpiece of the spring sky. If you'd like to observe a miniature version, seek out