| Object Data |
| Description |
NGC3628 is the most striking member of the
Leo Triplet which consists of
M65, M66, and NGC3628.
It is an edge on spiral that is noteworthy because the dust lane around
the outside of the bright spiral core is not perfectly lined up with the
plane of the main galaxy. Also, the outermost reaches of the plane are
much thicker than they are closer in. Another interesting feature is
that in the very center of the disk, near the rather meager central
bulge, the thick white fuzz of the disk all but disappears. |
| Constellation |
Leo the Lion |
| Right Ascension |
11h 20m 27s |
| Declination |
+13° 34' 19" |
| Magnitude |
10.4 |
| Angular size |
13.1 arcminutes |
| Distance |
7.7 megaparsecs (25 million light years) |
| Radial Velocity |
847 kilometers per second |
| Image Data |
| Photographer |
Fred Lehman |
| Main Scope |
Meade 12" LX200 @ f/3.3 (1015mm) |
| Guide Scope |
Orion 120mm refractor @ f/3.75 |
| Guide Camera |
SBIG STV |
| Imaging Camera |
Starlight Xpress MX7C |
| Resolution |
752 x 580 @ 1.8 arcseconds per pixel |
| Exposure |
Six exposures of two minutes each. Aligned, stacked,
and processed with AstroArt. |
| Date |
March 7, 2003 |
| Location |
Area 51 in Big Cypress National Preserve in
central South Florida. |
