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Antennae

NGC 4039

Galaxy Fair (36/100)

Irregular

NGC 4039 Galaxy Crv Visible Level 5 Expert level - Dark skies recommended
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Properties

Magnitude 13.0
Angular Size 5.4′ × 2.7′
Position Angle 50°
Galaxy Type Irregular (SBm pec)
pF, pL

Position & Identifiers

RA 12h 01m 54.0s
Dec -18° 52' 60.0"
Constellation Crv
Catalog NGC 4039

Visibility

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Eyepiece View

200x TFOV: 0.2° Lim. mag: 14.2
N E

Antennae · 5.4′×2.7′ · N up, E left

Surface Brightness & Visibility

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About Antennae

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.