NGC 1309

Alt. Designations: NGC 1309
Object Type: spiral galaxy
Constellation: Eridanus
Distance: 120 mly
Right Ascension: 03h 22m 06.3s
Declination: -15° 24´ 00"
Visual Magnitude: 11.5
Apparent Dimension: 2.3´ X 2.2´
Best Month To View: Dec

NGC 1309 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 120 million light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. It is about 75,000 light-years across; about 3/4s the width of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Its shape is classified as SA(s)bc, meaning that it has moderately wound spiral arms and no ring. Bright blue areas of star formation can be seen in the spiral arms, while the yellowish central nucleus contains older-population stars. NGC 1309 is one of over 200 members of the Eridanus Group of galaxies.