NGC 4565 · galaxy

Needle Galaxy

NGC 4565 is an edge-on spiral galaxy about 30 to 50 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.

RA12h 36m 20sDec+25° 59' 15"

Image: NASA/JPL-Caltech. Source: JPL via images.nasa.gov.

Identity & coordinates

Identification

Primary designation: NGC 4565
All designations: NGC 4565 · Needle Galaxy
Object type: Galaxy
Constellation: Coma Berenices
Best viewing: Spring

Coordinates & physical

Right ascension (J2000): 12h 36m 20s
Declination (J2000): +25° 59' 15"
Apparent magnitude (V): —
Distance: —
Redshift (z): 0.004276

III

Visibility tonight

The science

NGC 4565 is an edge-on spiral galaxy about 30 to 50 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It lies close to the North Galactic Pole and has a visual magnitude of approximately 10. It is known as the Needle Galaxy for its narrow profile, and is a prominent example of an edge-on spiral galaxy. It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 6 April 1785.

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