About C45
Description
NGC 5248 is a grand-design spiral galaxy in Bootes, about 59 million light-years away. It has two prominent, well-defined spiral arms and a ring of active star formation around its nucleus.
Observing Tips
Visible as a moderately bright, round glow in a 6-inch telescope. Larger scopes may reveal hints of the bright inner ring structure. Best in spring and summer evenings.
History
Discovered by William Herschel on March 15, 1784. The galaxy's nuclear ring of star formation has been studied extensively as an example of circumnuclear starburst activity.
Fun Facts
NGC 5248 contains a spectacular circumnuclear ring of young star clusters about 1,000 light-years in diameter, visible in Hubble images as a glowing necklace of blue star-forming regions.
Observe
1Properties
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | Medium+ | Medium | Hard+ |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Easy | Medium+ | Medium+ |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Easy | Easy | Medium+ |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
3Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
4
Eyepiece View
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: Credit Line and Copyright Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 us. (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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