NGC 4527 & NGC 4536 -- Spiral Galaxies in Virgo
Similar But Different
The twin Spiral Galaxies NGC 4527 and NGC 4536 were in the same field of view at 52x in
my 155mm refractor. They were both about the same brightness and both were slightly
elongated. They both appeared, dim and featureless. However, by increasing the
magnification to 109x and spending a little time with these two galaxies, differences were
seen. To me NGC 4527 had a uniform disk brightness with a swollen core; while NGC 4536
disk appeared patchy while its core was more star-like. It may take a bit more effort to
study/observe galaxies closely, but often differences can be made out with moderate and
even small telescopes. I find that observing such differences becomes a part of the
enjoyment of astronomy. The drawing circle is shown at 52x while galaxy details were teased
out at 109x.
my 155mm refractor. They were both about the same brightness and both were slightly
elongated. They both appeared, dim and featureless. However, by increasing the
magnification to 109x and spending a little time with these two galaxies, differences were
seen. To me NGC 4527 had a uniform disk brightness with a swollen core; while NGC 4536
disk appeared patchy while its core was more star-like. It may take a bit more effort to
study/observe galaxies closely, but often differences can be made out with moderate and
even small telescopes. I find that observing such differences becomes a part of the
enjoyment of astronomy. The drawing circle is shown at 52x while galaxy details were teased
out at 109x.