Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83)
Also known as M83 · M 83 · Southern Pinwheel Galaxy · NGC 5236
Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) is a galaxy in the constellation Hydra, about 15.2 million light-years from Earth.
Facts
| Type | Galaxy (shape SAB(s)c) |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Position (J2000) | 13h 37m 00s, −29° 51′ |
| Distance | 15.2 million light-years (its light set off about 15.2 million years ago) |
| Brightness | magnitude 7.52 (smaller is brighter; the faintest stars the eye sees are about 6) |
| Size on the sky | 13.8′ × 12.9′ (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 | 2,815 scientific papers (SIMBAD) |
When and how to see it
Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M83) is highest in the sky at midnight in April. From India (about 20° N) it climbs to about 40° above the horizon; from 50° N, to about 10°. To see it you need binoculars.
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 Hydra
Everything in Hydra · All 88 constellations · All sky objects
Data: SIMBAD (CDS, Strasbourg; the site's weekly copy) · OpenNGC · Data sources & credits