NGC1232 · NGC 1232
| Chinese name | NGC 1232 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Eri |
| RA | 03h10m |
| Dec | −20° |
| Apparent magnitude | 9.9ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Both hemispheres |
| Best season | Winter |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 长焦 1000mm+ |
About
NGC 1232 lies about 60 million light-years away in Eridanus, a spectacular face-on intermediate spiral. Numerous arms unfurl from a yellow bulge, peppered with blue young clusters and pink star-forming regions, with faint outer arms extending further. To one side lies a small, gravitationally distorted satellite, NGC 1232A. ESO's Very Large Telescope captured a famous high-resolution color portrait of it. At magnitude 10, its intricate, high-contrast structure makes it a rewarding long-focal-length target in winter Eridanus.