This image of dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 185 is a 10 minute exposure with an ST-6 CCD camera thru a 20 inch F/8.1 telescope. The field of view is about 5x7 arc minutes, and thus covers only the inner part of the galaxy. NGC 185 is a companion of M-31.
Low surface brightness dwarf, dark markings in brighter middle, no definite nucleus.
(referring to NGCs 147 & 185) These two miniature elliptical galaxies appear to be distant companions of the Great Andromeda Galaxy M31. .......and are approximately the same distance .....about 2.2 million light years..... The true separation from the Andromeda Galaxy appears to be about a quarter of a million light years.
NGC 185 is the brighter of the two, and may be seen in a good 6 inch telescope...... (it is) about 2,300 light years in diameter. .... Appearing like a gigantic globular cluster, it must contain many millions of faint stars. ......the total luminosity (is) some 8 million times that of the Sun. An unusual feature .... is a small irregular dust patch which often disappears on photographs.
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George Normandin, KAS
December 8th, 1997