When is the best time to observe NGC 2859?

NGC 2859 is best observed from January through March, with peak visibility during February when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is NGC 2859 located in the sky?

NGC 2859 lies in the constellation Leo Minor at right ascension 09h 24m and declination +34° 31′.

What telescope do I need to see NGC 2859?

At magnitude 10.7, NGC 2859 is best observed with a 6-inch (150 mm) or larger telescope.

NGC 2859 — Galaxy in Leo Minor

Galaxy Good (43/100)

Lenticular

Magnitude 10.7^m Galaxy Leo Minor (LMi) Visible

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1Properties

Magnitude 10.7

Angular Size 3.2′ × 2.8′

Position Angle 85°

Distance 78.42 million ly

Galaxy Type Lenticular (S0-a)

Description

vB, pL, R, smbM

Position & Identifiers

RA 09h 24m 18.0s

Dec +34° 31' 00.0"

Constellation Leo Minor (LMi)

Catalog NGC 2859

2How easy to spot?

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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	Easy

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

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

Medium on Seestar S50

3Visibility

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Best season Jan – Mar (peak: Feb)

4 Eyepiece View

Telescope Eyepiece

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125x TFOV: 0.4° Lim. mag: 13.6

Seeing Bortle

NGC 2859 · 3.2′×2.8′ · N up, E left

5 Best Magnification

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6 Surface Brightness

7 Morphology Decoder

8 Inclination & True Shape

9 Redshift

10 Size Comparator

Discover

11

Light Travel Time Machine

12

Relativistic Travel

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.

NGC 2832

Medium+

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 11.5 1.2° Lynx

NGC 2778

Hard+

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 13.0 2.5° Lynx

38 Lyn

Medium+

Tight double — a rewarding split at 2.6″

Double Star mag 3.82 2.5° Lynx

NGC 2918

Hard+

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 13.0 3.7° Leo

RS Cnc

Easy

Semi-regular variable, range 5.3–6.9

Variable Star mag 5.95 4.6° Cancer

NGC 2964

Medium

Barred spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 11.3 4.7° Leo

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