Object of the Week December 7, 2014 - NGC 337 - Cetus
Object of the Week December 7, 2014 NGC 337 - Cetus
NGC 337 = MCG -1-3-53 = PGC 3572
Intermediate orientation spiral galaxy (SBcd)
R.A.: 00h 59m 50.1s
Dec.: -07°34'41" (2000)
Size: 3.0'x 1.8'
Mag: 11.55 V
Mag: 12.00 B
NGC 337, discovered on Sep. 10, 1785 by William Herschel, is classified as a spiral galaxy... but it looks like a jumbled mess to me! NGC 337 is a starburst galaxy in Cetus.
Observing this untidy galaxy with my 25" dob, NGC 337 was reasonably bright, not too big, and at first glance it was just another little gray faint fuzzy. However, after peering at this 3:2 elongated fellow for a while, the entire surface became quite blotchy and dappled as the HII areas started to pop in and out. The more I looked the more I saw, with the biggest glowing clump being a curved portion pretty much through the galaxy's center. I tried various eyepieces and powers, and I always seem to prefer the higher powers, perhaps because of the improved contrast they provide.
A primary reason that I chose this object this time around is that NGC 337 has very recently hosted a supernova, Supernova 2014cx, discovered on September 2, 2014 by Koichi Itagaki. This Type II supernova is located 33".7 west and 21".7 north of the center of NGC 337, and was about mag 15.7 at discovery. Within a week it had brightened to mag 14.3, and by November 19th it had dimmed to about mag 15, which is the most recent report that I can find. I suspect it might still be visible now, although I have not had the opportunity... but it is on my list for observing in the next week or 2. I always enjoy observing supernovae because the are transient objects that no one will ever observe again... EVER!
Less than 1/2 degree almost directly east of NGC 337 is NGC 337A (AKA MCG -1-3-65, PGC 3671), located at R.A.: 01h 01m 33.9s Dec.: -07° 35' 17". This nearly face-on spiral galaxy is twice the diameter of NGC 337, but it has a much lower surface brightness, and I could barely detect it on a good night from the desert east of San Diego, my usual-and-customary observing location. This graphic is from SkyTools, a great program, and the large circle is 30 arc-minutes in diameter...
Reply With Quote