NGC 3

NGC 3 is a lenticular galaxy located 172 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Pisces. It was discovered on November 29, 1864, by Albert Marth.^[2]

NGC 3
NGC 3 by the DESI Legacy Surveys
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation	Pisces
Right ascension	00h 07m 16.8s[1]
Declination	+08° 18′ 06″[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity	3900 ± 50 km/s[1]
Distance	172 million light-years (53.9 mpc) [1]
Apparent magnitude (V)	14.2[1]
Characteristics
Type	S0[1]
Apparent size (V)	1.1' × 0.6'[1]
Other designations
UGC 58, PGC 565, GC 5080, Ark 1.[1]

It has the morphological type of S0. However other sources classify NGC 3 as a barred spiral galaxy as a type of SBa.

Observational history

NGC 3 was discovered by the German astronomer Albert Marth on 29 November 1864 and was described as "faint, very small, round, almost stellar".^[2]

Properties

NGC 3 is a lenticular galaxy, though other sources have referred to it as a barred spiral galaxy. It is located at a distance of about 172 million light-years from Earth, and has a magnitude of 14.2.^[1] NGC 3 appears to have a faint spiral arm structure, along with a weak bar.

Listing in astronomical catalogues

NGC 3 is first cataloged as GC 5080, an addendum to Dreyer's 1877 Supplement to the General Catalogue of Nebulae And Clusters of Stars. The object is cataloged as UGC 58, PGC 565, Ark 1, MCG+01-01-037, and CGCG 408–35.

Gallery

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  NGC 3 by SDSS
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  NGC 3 by DECam