NGC 4157 -- Barred Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major
Caught between a Great Bear & Hunting Dogs
The galaxy, NGC 4157, resides on the border of Canis Venatici (The Hunting Dogs) and Ursa
Major (The Great Bear); but most of the galaxy is in the Great Bear and thus is assigned to that
constellation. Within the same field of view of the galaxy, at 84x, is the double-star, Struve 1609,
which is well across the border into Canis Venatici.
At magnitude 12.1, the thin NGC 4157, was not a guaranteed find in my 155mm refractor from
my suburban backyard. It was, as expected, a challenge and showed itself, at first, only at 182x.
I could see no detail except a very slight brightening at its core. I made the drawing at 84x so
that I could include the galaxy with the double-star; but the details, of the galaxy, were drawn
using 182x.
Major (The Great Bear); but most of the galaxy is in the Great Bear and thus is assigned to that
constellation. Within the same field of view of the galaxy, at 84x, is the double-star, Struve 1609,
which is well across the border into Canis Venatici.
At magnitude 12.1, the thin NGC 4157, was not a guaranteed find in my 155mm refractor from
my suburban backyard. It was, as expected, a challenge and showed itself, at first, only at 182x.
I could see no detail except a very slight brightening at its core. I made the drawing at 84x so
that I could include the galaxy with the double-star; but the details, of the galaxy, were drawn
using 182x.