NGC 5054


Combination of 4, 3 minute exposures, Meade 416xt CCD.
300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

NGC 5054 is a moderately faint, face-on spiral galaxy in Virgo, situated about 5 degrees south and 1 degree west of Spica. It is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies, and forms a small group with NGC 5037 and NGC 5044. In an 8" telescope it appears as a faint circular patch of light with a brighter centre.

The bright galaxy to the upper left of NGC 5054 is the 16.0 magnitude PGC 46256, while just visible in the upper right corner is magnitude 15.0 PGC 46193.


Combination of 5, 3 minute images unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD. 20" f/6.8 Dall-Kirkham cassegrain telescope at prime focus.


Combination of 20, 3 minute exposures unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD camera. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

The bright elliptical galaxy to the upper right of NGC 5054 is the 10.8 magnitude NGC 5044. To the left of NGC 5035 are 2 bright edge-on spiral galaxies. The lower one is the 12.6 magnitude NGC 5047, while the upper one is the 14.2 maqgnitude NGC 5049. Numerous other fainter galaxies are visible in the field.