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C26

NGC 4244

Galaxy Excellent (67/100)

Spiral

C26 Galaxy Canes Venatici Visible Level 5 Expert level - Dark skies recommended
Credit: Ole Nielsen. License: CC BY-SA 2.5. (Wikimedia Commons)
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Properties

Magnitude 10.2
Angular Size 16.2′ × 7.2′
Position Angle 45°
Distance 10000000 ly
Galaxy Type Spiral (Sc)
Spiral Galaxy [Distance: 10000000 ly]

Position & Identifiers

RA 12h 17m 29.5s
Dec +37° 48' 25.2"
Constellation Canes Venatici
Catalog C26

Visibility

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About C26

Description

NGC 4244 is an edge-on spiral galaxy in Canes Venatici, about 14 million light-years away. Known as the Silver Needle Galaxy, it appears as a very thin, elongated streak spanning about 16 arcminutes with no visible dust lane or central bulge.

Observing Tips

Requires dark skies due to its low surface brightness. Visible as a faint, thin streak in a 6-inch telescope. The lack of a bright core makes it harder than typical edge-on galaxies. Best in spring evenings.

History

Discovered by William Herschel on March 17, 1787. Its extremely thin profile and lack of a bulge classify it as a pure-disk (Scd) spiral galaxy.

Fun Facts

NGC 4244 is one of the flattest galaxies known, with virtually no central bulge. It is a member of the M94 galaxy group, one of the many galaxy groups in the Canes Venatici cloud.

Community Photos (1)

Credit: Ole Nielsen. License: CC BY-SA 2.5. (Wikimedia Commons)

Credit: Ole Nielsen. License: CC BY-SA 2.5. (Wikimedia Commons)

Skybred Mar 2, 2026