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Caldwell 52
Hubble · Caldwell 52 · NASA, ESA, and C. Sarazin (University of Virginia); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

Caldwell 52

Galaxy in Virgo · 56.378 million light-years (est. from redshift)

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TypeGalaxy
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 48m 36s
Declination−5° 48′
Object distance56.378 million light-years (est. from redshift)
Apparent magnitude9.4
Apparent size7.1′ (arc-minutes)
Approx. true diameter116,439 light-years across
Also known asC52 · NGC 4697
Caldwell 52 is a galaxy (NGC 4697) in the constellation Virgo — a distant island of stars far beyond the Milky Way. It appears as number 52 in the Caldwell catalogue, Sir Patrick Moore's 1995 list of 109 bright deep-sky objects for amateur astronomers. It spans roughly 7.1 arc-minutes on the sky. At about magnitude 9.4, it shows up in a small backyard telescope.

Although it appears about 7.1′ wide on the sky, its real span is roughly 116,439 light-years — the difference is a measure of how far away it lies.

Observing Caldwell 52

Caldwell 52 lies in the constellation Virgo and is best placed in the evening sky around April. 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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