Object of the Week January 27, 2019-NGC 2217 A Ring in The Big Dog

[Jimi Lowrey]

NGC 2217

Canis Major

RA
06 21 39
Dec
-27 14 06

Type R SBa Liner?

Mag 11.8

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NGC 2217 is A face on SB ring type of galaxy found in Canis Major. It was found by John Herschel on January 20, 1835. He recorded it as very bright. It is approximately 65MLY away and is receding.

IMG_0158.JPG

The view of NGC 2217 is dominated by the bright oval ring and bar in the center of the galaxy. I have seen the elongated star forming arm in the North East part of the ring but the faint blue part of the South ring is really tough. The bright bar and center ring should be visible in most scopes under dark skies. I have read in one of the notes in NED that NGC 2217 is not a true ring but because we see it face on that the spiral arms are overlapped. True ring or not NGC 2217 is a pretty unique galaxy and is not very well known.



On these cold winter nights next time you are out check out the ring in the big dog and as always!

GIVE IT A GO and Let us Know and I am wishing you clear skies and steady seeing in 2019!

[Raul Leon]

Hi,
Here's my observation from 3/10/2013: ngc 2217 galaxy in Canis Major; magnitude:11.8 ;fairly bright ; slightly elongated with a bright stellar core; used a 10mm Ethos at 158x magnification with my 14.5 Starstructure Dob f/4.3 2217.jpg

[wvreeven]

My observation from 20 Feb 2012 with my 20" from SQM 21.5 skies read

"Two fairly bright stars WNW and two faint stars ESE. A bright central region with a faint halo and a bar."

No mention of any rings whatsoever.

[Bertrand Laville]

Hi All,

Only a very old observation of this galaxy, always low above the european horizon.
1999 01 (!), alt 17°, good transparency and darkness (SQM 21.5 estimated), seeing bad.

LX200 10", 185x
Pretty small, pretty bright galaxy. Seen in direct vision, but with difficulty. Slightly elongated, a/b ~ 1.25, a ~ 3 or 4'.
Suddenly bright middle. Rich field around.
Note added today: no one comment concerning a ring (in all cases, not known the day of the observation).

Clear sky
Bertrand
http://www.deepsky-drawings.com/

[IVAN]

Thanks Jim, I'll have a go at this one next new moon.

[Steve Gottlieb]

While in the area, check out UGCA 126 = ESO 489-029, which is part of the same group (LGG 136). ESO 489-029 is a thin, relatively bright edge-one 1° WSW of NGC 2217.
UGCA 126.jpg

[Uwe Glahn]

I have two positive observation of the ring with my 16-inch under very good conditions.

I noted: with 106x clearly a very faint but sure 3'x4' glow around the core; no ring structure direct visible but because of the contrast to the core it seems to be darker around the core itself; glow/ring best defined to the NE; core itself very bright with small E-W elongated bar

sketch: 16", 106x-180x, NELM 6m5+, Seeing IV
NGC2217.jpg