M83 / Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (Revisit)
| Name | Southern Pinwheel Galaxy |
| Designation(s) | M83, NGC 5236 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Messier, NGC |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Date and Time Observed | 2026-03-24 02:15:00 |
| Instrument | Seestar S30-pro f5.3-160mm |
| Camera | Seestar S30-pro built-in SONY IMX585 Sensor |
| Image Details | Up is 91.3 degrees E of N. Transparency: Good. Seeing: Good. Total integration time was 60m. Exposures 20s in EQ Mode. Standard Seestar enhancement including darks. |
| Description | Cataloged February 17, 1781: "Nebula without star, near the head of Centaurus: it appears as a faint & even glow, but it is difficult to see in the telescope, as the least light to illuminate the micrometer wires makes it disappear. One is only able with the greatest concentration to see it at all: it forms a triangle with two stars estimated of sixth & seventh magnitude... M. de la Caille has already determined this nebula." <--> This barred spiral galaxy appears distorted by prior encounters, with the upper arm pulled out slightly with an extended tail upwards. I was amazed that this is a Messier object, given that Paris is even further north than the mid-Hudson valley. Then learned this object was discovered at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, and added based on correspondence. Impressive that Messier could observe it himself (as he clearly did) from Paris, which is even further north than I am. Anyway, a truly fascinating galaxy... A revisit, taking advantage of my back deck and pushing the limits of the tiny Seestar S30 pro. M83 is located at Dec -30°, making it is a very tough target from the Catskills (42°N) as it maxes out about 18° altitude (14°-16° during this capture). Obviously, I was imaging into some sort of light cone, which I rarely notice from my back yard. I suspect this is from the town of Saugerties, about 10 miles south of me, whose light cone is normally hidden behind trees, and not evident at elevations 30°+ needed to clear the tries from my ground level pier. |
| Related Observations | M83 (2) NGC5236 (2) |
| Catalog Links | <Previous | NGC Listings | Next> |
