NGC 5846 & NGC 5850: Galaxy Pair (Virgo) RA: 15h 06.8m / DEC: +01° 34'.9 Instrument: 10-inch Starfinder |
Tucked away in the southwest corner of Virgo is where you will find NGC 5846 and NGC 5850. My observation at 129X with the 10-inch Newtonian, captured in the sketch at left, shows NGC 5846 offset west of center. This 10.0 magnitude elliptical galaxy is aligned north-south over a 3'x2' area. Faint PGC 53930 stands immediately to the south. This diminutive, 13.8 (B) magnitude galaxy occupies a scant 15" diamter area. About 7' due west, 12.5 magnitude NGC 5845 appeaers as a 30" diameter haze. NGC 5850 is seen about 10' to the southeast of NGC 5846. This SBb-type galaxy has a visual magnitude of 10.7 and ranges over a 3'x2' area. Aligned nearly east-west, this portion includes the bright core and distinct central bar of the galaxy. The outer spiral arms are too faint to be seen. A pair of 12th magnitude GSC stars guard its northern edge. A 10.7 magnitude star marks the halfway point between NGC 5846 and NGC 5850. M5, one of the more impressive globular star clusters of the northern sky, is about 3 degrees due east in Serpens. |
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