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.
Observe
1Properties
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | Imp. | Imp. | Imp. |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Imp. | Imp. | Imp. |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Imp. | Imp. | Imp. |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
3Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
4
Eyepiece View
Antennae Galaxies · 5.4′×2.7′ · 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: ESA/Hubble & NASA. License: CC BY 4.0. (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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