NGC 300 · galaxy

NGC 300

NGC 300 (also known as Caldwell 70 or the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor.

RA00h 54m 53sDec−37° 41' 03"

Image: NASA/JPL/California Institute of Technology. Source: JPL via images.nasa.gov.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: NGC 300
All designations: NGC 300
Object type: Galaxy
Constellation: Sculptor
Best viewing: Autumn

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 00h 54m 53s
Declination (J2000): −37° 41' 03"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —
Redshift (z): 0.000491

III

Visibility tonight

The science

NGC 300 (also known as Caldwell 70 or the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered on 5 August 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, and it most likely lies between the latter and the Sculptor Group. It is the brightest of the five main spirals in the direction of the Sculptor Group. It is inclined at an angle of 42° when viewed from Earth and shares many characteristics of the Triangulum Galaxy. It is about 94,000 light-years in diameter, somewhat smaller than the Milky Way, and has an estimated mass of (2.9 ± 0.2) × 1010 M☉.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA-4.0