This fine pair is located 2.4 degrees west of 2.9 magnitude Vindamiatrix in north-central Virgo. In fact, this pair marks the halfway point between Vindamiatrix and M60. The sketch at left captures the view at 190X in my 10-inch Newtonian. NGC 4754 features a stellar core within a 3'x2' nebulosity. This represents the brighest portion of the galaxy. The faint outer extensions of the disk are not visible. This SBO-type galaxy is fairly bright with a visual magnitude of 10.6. NGC 4762, 10'.5 to the southeast, appears very elongated. It extends 7'x1' along a northeast-to-southwest axis. The southern tip passes just west of a 10.6 magnitude star. This 10.2 magnitude edge-on spiral also displays a stellar core region and a discernible central bulge. 9.4 magnitude HD 111926 is the brightest star in the field, shining 4' from NGC 4762. |