When is the best time to observe NGC 2976?

NGC 2976 is best observed from January through March, with peak visibility during February when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is NGC 2976 located in the sky?

NGC 2976 lies in the constellation Ursa Major at right ascension 09h 47m and declination +67° 55′.

What telescope do I need to see NGC 2976?

At magnitude 10.2, NGC 2976 is best observed with a 6-inch (150 mm) or larger telescope.

NGC 2976 — Galaxy in Ursa Major

Galaxy Good (53/100)

Spiral

Magnitude 10.2^m Galaxy Ursa Major (UMa) Visible

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1Properties

Magnitude 10.2

Angular Size 5.8′ × 3.0′

Position Angle 143°

Distance 558,738 ly

Galaxy Type Spiral (SAc pec)

Description

B, vL, mE 152deg , st inv

Position & Identifiers

RA 09h 47m 18.0s

Dec +67° 55' 00.0"

Constellation Ursa Major (UMa)

Catalog NGC 2976

2How easy to spot?

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Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	Hard	Hard	V. hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Hard+	Hard+	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

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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 2976 · 5.8′×3.0′ · 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.

Galaxy mag 6.9 1.4° Ursa Major

NGC 3077

Hard+

Galaxy

Galaxy mag 9.9 1.7° Ursa Major

Galaxy mag 8.4 1.9° Ursa Major

NGC 2787

Medium+

Barred spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 10.8 2.9° Ursa Major

Sigma UMa

HIP 45038; Sigma2 Ursae Majoris; 13 Ursae Majoris

Medium+

Colorful double, sep 4.7″

Double Star mag 4.80 3.6° Ursa Major

VY UMa

Medium

Semi-regular variable, range 5.9–6.5

Variable Star mag 6.00 5.5° Ursa Major

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