NGC247 · NGC 247
| Chinese name | NGC 247 |
|---|---|
| Type | Galaxy |
| Constellation | Cet |
| RA | 00h47m |
| Dec | −20° |
| Apparent magnitude | 9.1ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Both hemispheres |
| Best season | Autumn |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Focal length | 中焦 600–1000mm |
About
NGC 247 (Caldwell 62) lies about 11 million light-years away in Cetus and is a member of the nearby Sculptor Group of galaxies. Seen at a high tilt, its most striking feature is a curious large "void" on the northern side of the disk, a sparse region almost devoid of stars whose origin is still debated. The galaxy is fairly large on the sky but low in surface brightness, with soft texture and loose arms dotted by faint stellar knots and H II regions. It is a rewarding low-surface-brightness spiral for long exposures in southern skies, often toured alongside its group companion, the Sculptor Galaxy NGC 253.