Object of the week December 27,2020—NGC 2357 A Flat Galaxy for Winter

[Jimi Lowrey]

NGC 2357

Gemini

RA 07 17 41
Dec +23 21 22

Type Sc Flat galaxy

Mag 14P

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NGC 2357 was found by Stephan on FEB 6,1885. It lies 110 million light years away in Gemini. It is some what peculiar as it appears to be thin on the east end of it and some what thicker on the west end. Rick Johnson the late astrophotographer who’s image I used below thought that NGC 2357 might be twisted. What do you think is it twisted or not? I have observed it many times over the years and noted as the image shows that the West end is some what thicker than the needle sharp East end. I could not determine from my observations if it is twisted or not.

2739D0B5-E4DF-4770-8CA5-F194905D9510.jpeg

If you are up for a challenge 3.6’ South is the little smuts galaxy LEDA213380. I could not find much information about this small little galaxy. I have not observed it yet so this will give me a good reason to revisit NGC 2357 in the future.

“GIVE IT A GO”as always!

[lamperti]

Back in 1990 with a 13" at 130x: "Only an occasional glimpse of a hazy spot near a faint star. Averted vision." Later, in 2010 with a 22": "Averted vision 3 with the 8mm (313x). With the 6 mm (416x) it was seen as a hazy elongated glow. PA~100° (118°)"

[Uwe Glahn]

Logged it once with 16-inch. With 189x under 6,6mag skies.
I noted: typical superthin-morphology; already visible with 51x, better with middle EP; 1:5 elongated with longish center but without looking extremely thin

[Steve Gottlieb]

I have only one observation from 30 years ago with a 17.5" at 222x --

Faint, large, edge-on 6:1 NW-SE. Appears as a very low surface brightness ghostly streak with no central condensation. A mag 13 star is off the NW end (1.3' from center).

[Ivan Maly]

I think it's a spiral seen slightly from its southern side, eastern arm curving away from us and western one, toward us. While the disc is not twisted, as such (out of the plane).