Herschel 130
NGC 2903

Object Type Galaxy SBb
Constellation Leo
Magnitude 8.8
Size 12.5' x 6.0'


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

Number 130 in the Herschel 400 list is NGC 2903.

NGC 2903 is a large and bright galaxy in Leo, about 1.5 degrees south of lambda leonis. It is a beautiful, multi-armed Sb spiral, tilted at a substantial angle. One of my favourite galaxies, it is a very good object for small telescopes, appearing as a large oval patch of light in an 8" telescope. In a 10", the spiral structure is visible. The faint patch to the left (east) is the 16.0 magnitude galaxy, PGC 27115.

A long exposure, colour image with the same telescope and CCD in here.

Visual Observation Notes.

Large and bright. Bright star-like centre. "S" shape spiral arms.
18" f/5 newtonian. 16mm nagler eyepiece. 143x.
Sky View observatory. Zenith limiting magnitude 6.7.