NGC1300 · NGC 1300
| Chinese name | NGC 1300 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Eri |
| RA | 03h20m |
| Dec | −19° |
| Apparent magnitude | 11ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Both hemispheres |
| Best season | Winter |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 长焦 1000mm+ |
About
NGC 1300 lies about 69 million light-years away in Eridanus and is the textbook archetype of a barred spiral, regarded as one of the finest examples of its kind. A straight stellar bar runs through the bright core, with a symmetric, tightly wound grand-design arm springing from each end. Its most unusual feature is a miniature "grand-design" spiral only about 3,300 light-years across nested within the nucleus, rare among barred spirals. Hubble captured a famous high-resolution portrait of it, revealing stunning arm and dust detail. Low in surface brightness, it is an exquisitely structured yet challenging long-focal deep-sky target around the turn of winter to spring.