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Type: galaxy, SB0
Mag: B=11, V=?
Size: 3.235′ x 1.698′
PA: 80°
Synonyms: H I-160
Discovered in 1786 by William Herschel with an 18.7-inch f/13 speculum telescope. He called it "vB, cL, E sp-nf, vgBN, faint branch."
vBN, like a globular nebula, in a pB structureless atm. 1.5' long, mE 75deg' which falls off in intensity from the centre; no sign of structure. The object should be bright enough for a determination of its radial velocity to be made.
The RNGC (Sulentic and Tifft 1973) notes that this is a 12.0 mag galaxy. Their coded description reads E,EL,BM.
G. de Vaucouleurs ("Galaxies and the Universe", Chapter 14 - Nearby Groups of Galaxies) notes that the five brightest members of the Virgo V group, a part of the Virgo II cloud complex, are NGC 4546, NGC 4691, NGC 4487, NGC 4593 & NGC 4504.
Tom Lorenzin, in the e-version of "1000+ The Amateur Astronomers' Field Guide to Deep Sky Observing", notes: "11.4M; 1.6' x 0.7' extent; bright oblong with 13M stellar core; good supernova prospect; two 8M stars nearby to 15' N and 20' to WNW."
Steve Coe, observing with a 13" f/5.6, notes: "Pretty bright, pretty large, much elogated 2.5 X 1 in PA 90, much brighter middle, with a 10th mag star to the SE at 135X."
Observing site: Little Bennett Regional Park
Telescope: C-11
[12h 35m 30s, -3° 48' 0"] A bright, tiny galaxy. Seyfert? B: E6/S0. A peculiar galaxy with counter rotating regions!
Lacaille's catalogue
The Messier objects
Dunlop's catalogue
The Bennett objects
The Caldwell list
Named DSOs
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