Helix Galaxy (NGC 2685)
Also known as Helix Galaxy · NGC 2685
Helix Galaxy (NGC 2685) is a galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major, about 46.58 million light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Galaxy (shape SB) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Position (J2000) | 8h 55m 34s, +58° 44′ |
| Distance | 46.58 million light-years (its light set off about 46.58 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 12.7 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 3.1′ × 1.8′ (the full Moon is about 31′) |
| Filter | No filter (It shines in starlight of every colour, so a nebula filter would only dim it; a dark sky helps more.) |
| Studied in | 461 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Helix Galaxy (NGC 2685) is highest in the sky at midnight in February. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 51° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 81°. To see it you need a large telescope or long-exposure photos.
Heights are worked out for India and for 50° N. Set your location in Settings to see them for where you are.
For tonight's best time from your own town, the darkness and the Moon, open it on the map and see its "Tonight from your location" card.
More in Ursa Major
- Bode's Galaxy (M81)
- Cigar Galaxy (M82)
- M109 (NGC 3992)
- Owl Nebula (M97)
- Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)
- Surfboard Galaxy (M108)
- Twin Quasar
- Winnecke 4 (M40)
Everything in Ursa Major · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits