NGC 4666 & NGC 4668: Galaxy Pair (Virgo) RA: 12h 45.3m / DEC: -00° 29'.2 Instrument: 10-inch Starfinder |
This fine looking pair resides in southern Virgo about 1.3 degrees northeast of 2.7 magnitude Porrima, Gamma (29) Virginis. NGC 4666 carves a pencil-thin profile stretching 4' along a northeast-to-southwest axis. A 10th mangitude GSC is visible about 6' to the northwest. A close pair of 11th and 13th magnitude stars are seen an equal distance to the southeast. With a visual magnitude of 10.7 and a surface brightness of 21.7 magnitude per square arc second, this is an easy object for moderate aperture. 13.1 magnitude NGC 4668 can be seen just inside the southeast boundary of my sketch, which is based on the view at 82X in my 10-inch Starfinder equatorial Newtonian. This faint little stinker still has a relatively high surface brightness at 21.8 magnitude per square arc second. |
Home | About Cosmic Voyage | Getting Started | Deep-sky Observing | Planetary Observing | Astrophotography | Sketching | Glossary | Web Links
URL: http://www.cosmicvoyage.net
Layout, design & revisions © W. D. Ferris
Comments and Suggestions: wdferris1@gmail.com
Revised: May 6, 2002 [WDF]