NGC 4666: Edge-on Spiral Galaxy (Virgo) RA: 12h 45.2m / DEC: -00° 27'.7 Instrument: 10-inch Starfinder |
NGC 4666 resides in southern Virgo about 1.3 degrees northeast of 2.7 magnitude Porrima, Gamma (29) Virginis. The galaxy carves a pencil-thin profile stretching 4' along a northeast-to-southwest axis. A 10th mangitude GSC star 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. |
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Revised: January 21, 2003 [WDF]