When is the best time to observe NGC 2188?

NGC 2188 is best observed from November through January, with peak visibility during December when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is NGC 2188 located in the sky?

NGC 2188 lies in the constellation Columba at right ascension 06h 10m and declination -34° 06′.

What telescope do I need to see NGC 2188?

At magnitude 11.8, NGC 2188 is best observed with a 6-inch (150 mm) or larger telescope.

NGC 2188 — Galaxy in Columba

Galaxy Good (46/100)

Barred Spiral

Magnitude 11.8^m Galaxy Columba (Col) Visible

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1Properties

Magnitude 11.8

Angular Size 5.4′ × 1.3′

Position Angle 177°

Galaxy Type Barred Spiral (SBm)

Description

pF, pL, vmE, gvlbM

Position & Identifiers

RA 06h 10m 09.5s

Dec -34° 06' 22.3"

Constellation Columba (Col)

Catalog NGC 2188

2How easy to spot?

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	V. hard+	V. hard	Imp.
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Hard+	Hard	V. hard+
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Medium	Hard+	Hard

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

Easy on Seestar S50

3Visibility

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

4 Eyepiece View

Telescope Eyepiece

125x TFOV: 0.4° Lim. mag: 13.6

Seeing Bortle

NGC 2188 · 5.4′×1.3′ · N up, E left

5 Best Magnification

Explore

6 Surface Brightness

7 Morphology Decoder

8 Inclination & True Shape

9 Size Comparator

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.

HIP 30840

Hard+

Tight double — a rewarding split at 1.2″

Double Star mag 5.74 4.2° Canis Major

NGC 2090

Medium

Bright spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 12.0 4.8° Columba

NGC 2243

Easy

Open cluster

Open Cluster mag 9.4 5.0° Canis Major

IC 2158

Hard+

Barred spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 12.06 6.3° Columba

NGC 2217

Easy

Bright spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 10.4 7.3° Canis Major

NGC 2298

Easy

Globular cluster — dense ball of ancient stars

Globular Cluster mag 9.4 8.2° Puppis

NGC 2272

Medium

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 11.9 9.6° Canis Major

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