NGC 7331 is an impressive site in northern Pegasus. It's an easy star hop going 4 degrees north and 1 degree west from 2.9 magnitude Matar, Eta (44) Pegasi. NGC 7331 is a 9.5 magnitude Sb-type spiral galaxy. My sketch is based on a 190X view in the 10-inch Newtonian. The galaxy ranges over a 8'x2' area. A pair of 13th magnitude stars mark the northwest extent. NGC 7331 features a stellar nucleus with a bright surrounding core region. The northeastern edge of the galaxy has a sharper cutoff in brightness than the opposite edge. MegaStar shows four galaxies, NGCs 7335, 7336, 7337 and 7340, to the east of NGC 7331. My sketch records two of the four: 13.3 magnitude NGC 7335 and 14.4 magnitude NGC 7337. Both reside about 5' to the east and appear as faint circular patches roughly 40" in diameter. Stephan's Quintet is half a degree to the southwest. |