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2MASS near-infrared telescope survey centred on Antennae Galaxies
Antennae Galaxies · Telescope survey view · 2MASS · University of Massachusetts and IPAC/Caltech; funded by NASA and NSF. Colour mosaic and cutout: CDS/Aladin.

Antennae Galaxies

Galaxy in Corvus · 77.905 million light-years (est. from redshift)

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationCorvus
Right ascension12h 01m 53s
Declination−18° 52′
Object distance77.905 million light-years (est. from redshift)
Apparent magnitude10.2
Apparent size5.4′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter122,372 light-years across
Also known asC60 · NGC 4038
Caldwell 60, popularly known as the Antennae Galaxies, is a galaxy (NGC 4038) in the constellation Corvus — a distant island of stars far beyond the Milky Way. It appears as number 60 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 5.4 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 10.2, it shows up in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 5.4′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 122,372 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Antennae Galaxies

Antennae Galaxies lies in the constellation Corvus and is best placed in the evening sky around March. Its maximum altitude above the horizon depends on your latitude. Lying near the celestial equator, it can be seen from both hemispheres. A small backyard telescope will show it; binoculars may hint at it under dark skies. Note that the listed magnitude is spread across the whole object — diffuse galaxies and nebulae are often harder to see than the number alone suggests, so dark, moonless skies help a great deal.

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Sources

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