Herschel 214
NGC 4151

Object Type Galaxy SBb Pec
Constellation Canes Venatici
Magnitude 10.3
Size 6.3' x 4.5'


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

NGC 4151 is a distorted barred spiral galaxy, sometimes listed as Peculier. The inner disk is very bright but the spiral arms, particularly the one to the west, are very faint and extended. It would appear that the galaxy has had a close encounter with another galaxy some time in the relativly recent past. The most likely culprit is not the small spiral galaxy to the upper left, (NGC 4156, Magnitude 13.1) as it is too regular. Rather it is more likely to be the extremely distorted spiral directly to the left. This is magnitude 17.1 PGC 38811.

Visual Observation Notes:- NGC 4151.

Fairly bright and moderately large oval with a bright core. NGC 4156 faintly visible in field.
18" f/5 newtonian. 16mm nagler eyepiece. 143x.
Sky View observatory. Zenith limiting magnitude 6.7.