Galaxy
Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy
Spiral galaxy · C70 · NGC 300
Spiral galaxy in Sculptor
Photo: ESO · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
NGC 300 (also known as Caldwell 70 or the Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered on 5 August 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, and it most likely lies between the latter and the Sculptor Group. It is the brightest of the five main spirals in the direction of the Sculptor Group. It is inclined at an angle of 42° when viewed from Earth and shares many characteristics of the Triangulum Galaxy. It is about 94,000 light-years in diameter, somewhat smaller than the Milky Way, and has an estimated mass of (2.9 ± 0.2) × 1010 M☉.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
In your sky
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Key facts
Distance
~3.9 million light-years
Apparent mag.
+9
Apparent size
19.4′ × 13.1′
Best seen with
Binoculars
Catalogue
C70 · NGC 300
Did you know
- Listed as Caldwell 70 in the Caldwell catalogue, also known as NGC 300.
- Found in the constellation Sculptor.
- Within reach of ordinary binoculars under dark skies.
