NGC4565

Doug's Images

Designations: NGC4565, H V 24, UGC 7772, PGC 42038, Caldwell C38
Object Type: Spiral Galaxy
Constellation: Coma Berenices
RA: 12 hrs 36 min 20.6 sec
Dec: +25 deg 59 min 05 sec

Visual Magnitude: 9.6
Size: 15.5 min X 1.9 min
Distance: 30 million light years
Discoverer: unknown

Visual Description: The largest of edge-on spirals, NGC 4565 is located approximately 30 million light years distant. It is one of the more massive nearby galaxies. Thought to be very reminiscent of our own Milky Way with the dark dust lane through the middle being equivalent to our galaxy's Great Rift, which divides the Milky Way in two. When the centre of NGC 4565 was observed with the Hubble WFPC2, the dark lane, which is so prominent in the ground-based images, was resolved into numerous clouds. These mark the locations of relatively dense concentrations of interstellar gas and dust. However, unlike dark clouds in the Milky Way or other nearby galaxies, those in NGC 4565 seem to be producing few bright, massive stars. Another interesting feature of NGC 4565 is that it shows bending or warping at its edges. Other galaxies with warped discs are known but are quite rare and warps are generally thought be be caused by a tidal interaction with a nearby companion. However, in NGC4565s case, there is no companion near enough. Possibly the most unusual observations of NGC 4565 were made using a rocket-borne infra-red telescope. They found that, unlike similar edge-on galaxy NGC 5907, NGC 4565 did not appear to have a visible halo.

Seeing Conditions: Not Recorded

Telescope: Meade 10" LX200
Focal Length: 2500 mm X .63 focal reducer
Mount: LX200
Camera: Starlight XPress MX916
Exposure: 300 seconds
Other: S.T.A.R 2000 autoguider

Image Processing: Multiple images stacked, dark frame subtracted

The visual descriptions of NGC4565 was written by David Ratledge in the book "Observing the Caldwell Objects" by David Ratledge. Page 90. ISBN number 0-85233-628-5.

Astro Images

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