NGC 1084 -- Spiral Galaxy in Eridanus
Brightest of the Cetus-Aries Cloud of Galaxies
The Spiral Galaxy, NGC 1084, resides just across the border of Cetus in Eridanus. At
magnitude 10.7 I thought that this would be difficult to spot in the 110mm refractor from
Alpha Ridge Park, but I was surprised how easy the galaxy was to see.
This small, but very condense galaxy, is currently merging with one or more dwarf
companion galaxies that has been causing bursts of star formation during the past 40
million years.
NGC 1084 is the eastern most member and the brightest of a half-dozen or so galaxies
belonging in the Cetus-Aries Cloud of Galaxies. All of which are approximately 60 million
light years distance. This galaxy was my biggest surprise for the night, for few near 11th
magnitude galaxies are so easily seen in a small refractor under skies so close to the
Washington-Baltimore corridor.