| Galaxy
Group
RA: 10h18m00.4s Dec: +21°48'44" (Leo) Magnitude of Brightest Member: 12.0 Member Galaxies: 4 Angular Diameter: 16.4' Recession velocity: 1200-1500 km/sec Distance: 50-60 myr Minimum requirements to detect: 6-inch scope under dark skies |
Hickson
44 is a cluster of four gravtitaionally bound galaxies that lie relatively
nearby. Each of these galaxies shows signs of interaction, such warped
disks or a large bright bar. The entire grouping spans 15', small
enough to be seen together in the same field of view.
The brighter three members have been seen in 8-inch telescopes, and I suspect that the two brightest, NGC 3190 and NGC 3193, can be glimpsed in a 6-inch. The faintest member may pose a challenge in a 12-inch.
Hickson 44 makes a nice grouping of in my 18-inch f/4.5 at 94x. The brightest member is NGC 3190, cataloged as a 12.1 magnitude an edge-on spiral galaxy that appears as an very elongated haze with bright inner core. This galaxy has a large dust lane on the southwested side, which may be glimpsed with averted vision as an unusllay hard edge on that side. Be sure to try more magnification to bring out the lane.
The next brightest is NGC 3193, a 12th magnitude elliptical galaxy that appears as a round hazy spot near a 10th magnitude star.
More difficult is NGC 3185, a 13th magnitude nearly-face-on barred spiral. The faintest member is the 14th magnitude NGC 3187, a spiral galaxy with a bright bar. I amlost overlooked this one at the eyepiece because it is so faint. It appeared elongated and diffuse.
The field in an 8-inch at
150x. North is down and east is to the right.
| Millennium
Star Atlas Vol II Chart 684
Sky Atlas 2000 Chart 6 Uranometria 2000 Vol I Chart 144 Herald-Bobroff Astroatlas B-05 C-21 |
