When is the best time to observe NGC 3359?

NGC 3359 is best observed from January through March, with peak visibility during February when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is NGC 3359 located in the sky?

NGC 3359 lies in the constellation Ursa Major at right ascension 10h 47m and declination +63° 13′.

What telescope do I need to see NGC 3359?

At magnitude 10.5, NGC 3359 is best observed with a 6-inch (150 mm) or larger telescope.

NGC 3359 — Galaxy in Ursa Major

Galaxy Good (59/100)

Spiral

Magnitude 10.5^m Galaxy Ursa Major (UMa) Visible

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1Properties

Magnitude 10.5

Angular Size 4.1′ × 2.8′

Position Angle 167°

Distance 47.12 million ly

Galaxy Type Spiral (Sc)

Description

pB, L, E 0deg , glbM

Position & Identifiers

RA 10h 46m 36.0s

Dec +63° 13' 00.0"

Constellation Ursa Major (UMa)

Catalog NGC 3359

2How easy to spot?

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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	Hard+	Hard	Hard

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 3359 · 4.1′×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.

VY UMa

Medium

Semi-regular variable, range 5.9–6.5

Variable Star mag 6.00 4.2° Ursa Major

NGC 3610

Easy

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 10.8 5.9° Ursa Major

NGC 3642

Medium

Barred spiral galaxy

Galaxy mag 11.1 6.0° Ursa Major

NGC 3613

Medium

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 12.0 6.5° Ursa Major

NGC 3796

Hard+

Elliptical galaxy

Galaxy mag 13.0 7.0° Ursa Major

M97

Owl Nebula

Hard+

Planetary nebula — try an OIII filter

Planetary Nebula mag 9.9 8.9° Ursa Major

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