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Antennae Galaxies

NGC 4039

Galaxy Good (47/100)

Barred Spiral

C61 Galaxy Corvus Visible Level 5 Expert level - Dark skies recommended
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
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Properties

Magnitude 13.0
Angular Size 5.4′ × 2.7′
Position Angle 50°
Distance 83000000 ly
Galaxy Type Barred Spiral (SBm)
Interacting Galaxies [Distance: 83000000 ly]

Position & Identifiers

RA 12h 02m 05.8s
Dec -18° 52' 48.0"
Constellation Corvus
Catalog C61

Visibility

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About Antennae Galaxies

Description

NGC 4039 is the southern component of the Antennae Galaxies in Corvus, about 45 million light-years away. Together with NGC 4038 (C60), this merging pair displays dramatic tidal tails and intense starburst activity from the ongoing collision.

Observing Tips

Visually inseparable from C60 in amateur telescopes. The merged cores appear as a single, irregular, bright glow. See C60 for detailed observing tips.

History

Discovered by William Herschel on February 7, 1785, the same night as NGC 4038. The two were originally cataloged as separate objects but are now understood to be a single interacting system.

Fun Facts

Computer simulations suggest the two galaxies began interacting about 600 million years ago and will eventually merge into a single elliptical galaxy over the next 400 million years.

Community Photos (1)

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. License: CC BY 4.0. (Wikimedia Commons)

Skybred Mar 2, 2026