Hoag Object (PGC 54559)
Serpens
Ra
15 17 14
Dec
+21 35 08
Mag 16.4 ?
Type Ring Galaxy
I have been fascinated by this galaxy since the first time I saw the image of it taken by the 200" Hale telescope many years ago. This galaxy started my quest to see as many ring type galaxies as I could find and to catalog them.http://www.faintfuzzies.com/Files/RingGalaxies%20v4.pdf
So what is this strange type of galaxy? That is a good question and as of this date the pro's are not sure ether. Art Hoag first publish a paper about this object in 1950 he first thought it to be a plantary nebula but had suspicion that it was a galaxy. The two best guesses is that it is a bared ring and the bar has deemed down and the other is its a old merger event of a S0 type and a spiral galaxy millions of years ago. Hoag object is 600 million light years away and a little bigger than our milky-way galaxy.
I have observed this strange ring many times over the years and to see the ring is a tough challenge that takes a large telescope and dark steady skies. On most nights with the 48" it just pops in every now and then in moments of good seeing. But to see the core I have seen a report from Sue French that she has seen the core in her 10" as very faint dim glow. There is a fish hook of stars that I us to ID the field when I am looking at Hoag's (see the image below.)
Hoags object wide field.jpg
So if you want to see a very unusual type of galaxy be sure to track down Hoag's Object and if you only see the core you still will have seen one unique and strange object.Hoags object hubble.jpg
And as always be sure to
"Give it a go and let us know!"
Good luck and great viewing!
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