Caldwell 38 — Galaxy in Coma Berenices
NGC 4565
About Needle Galaxy
Description
The Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565) is a classic edge-on spiral galaxy in Coma Berenices, about 42 million light-years away. One of the finest edge-on galaxies in the sky, it displays a razor-thin disk with a prominent central bulge and dark dust lane extending over 15 arcminutes.
Observing Tips
Spectacular in an 8-inch or larger telescope at medium power. The dust lane becomes visible at 10 inches. The galaxy's extreme thinness and length make it immediately striking. Located near the north galactic pole. Best in spring evenings.
History
Discovered by William Herschel on April 6, 1785. NGC 4565 is often considered the finest edge-on galaxy visible from the northern hemisphere and a benchmark for understanding disk galaxy structure.
Fun Facts
If we could view the Milky Way from outside and edge-on, it might look remarkably like NGC 4565. The galaxy's disk is remarkably flat and its bulge relatively small, suggesting a galaxy type very similar to our own.
Observe
1Properties
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | Easy | Medium+ | Medium |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
3Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
4
Eyepiece View
Needle Galaxy · 16.8′×2.9′ · N up, E left
5
Best Magnification
Explore
6
Surface Brightness
7
Morphology Decoder
8
Inclination & True Shape
9
Redshift
10
Size Comparator
Discover
11
Light Travel Time Machine
12
Relativistic Travel
Community Photos (1)
Credit: Ken Crawford. License: CC BY-SA 3.0. (Wikimedia Commons)
Skybred Mar 2, 2026
Nearby in the Sky
Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.
Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.
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