NGC 5068

3 minutes exposure.
Meade 416xt CCD. 8" f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

NGC 5068 is a beautiful, face-on, multi-armed spiral galaxy situated at the extreme southern regions of Virgo. Even so, it is still a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies. Unfortunately for visual observers the galaxy has a very low surface brightness and so the spiral arms are not visible. The above image gives some indication of what is visible in a 12" telescope under dark skies.

Combination of 3, 3 minute exposures, and a 5 minute exposure.
Meade 416xt CCD. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

Combination of the above image, and a 5 minute exposure.
Meade 416xt CCD. 300mm f/6 newtonian telescope at prime focus.

Observers with large telescopes may be able to observe some of the brighter HII regions as small knots in the haze that are the arms. The small patch just above the top of the galaxy is a more distant galaxy, the magnitude 16.3 PGC 834347, while just to the right of NGC 5068, just above a star is the magnitude 18 PGC 3094731.

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