Caldwell 83 — Galaxy in Centaurus
NGC 4945
About C83
Description
NGC 4945 is a bright, edge-on barred spiral galaxy in Centaurus, about 11.7 million light-years away. It is one of the brightest galaxies in the Centaurus A/M83 galaxy group and hosts a Seyfert 2 active nucleus obscured by heavy dust absorption.
Observing Tips
Visible as a bright, elongated streak in a 6-inch telescope. The thick dust lane makes the profile appear asymmetric. Located near Centaurus A (C77). Best from southern latitudes in spring and summer evenings.
History
Discovered by James Dunlop on April 30, 1826 from Australia. X-ray and infrared observations have revealed the hidden active galactic nucleus behind the galaxy's dust-choked central region.
Fun Facts
NGC 4945's central supermassive black hole is accreting matter and producing powerful water maser emission — one of the strongest extragalactic maser sources known, visible at radio wavelengths.
Observe
1Properties
Position & Identifiers
2How easy to spot?
| Telescope | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mm refractor 80mm refr. | V. hard+ | V. hard+ | V. hard |
| 150 mm Newton 150mm Newt. | Hard | Hard | V. hard+ |
| Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm | Hard | Hard | Hard |
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
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Surface Brightness
7
Morphology Decoder
8
Inclination & True Shape
9
Redshift
10
Size Comparator
Discover
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Light Travel Time Machine
12
Relativistic Travel
Community Photos (1)
Credit: ESO. 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.
Explore Nightbase
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