Lenticular Galaxy in Leo
Caldwell 40 is classified as a lenticular (lens-shaped) galaxy, but it has some additional features besides a lens shape. The image here shows four separate regions of different brightness. There is a very bright circular core, partly surrounded by a dark circle. This is encompassed in a long oval region, then a dimmer ring at a slighly different angle, and finally a very faint outer halo.
About 6 arcminutes south of NGC 3626 is a much fainter edge-on galaxy, PGC 34683. At magnitude 16, it is too dim to be seen visually through most amateur telescopes.
| Magnitude | 11.0 |
| Apparent Size | 3' x 2' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 65 million |
| Right Ascension | 11:20.1 |
| Declination | +18 21 |
| Field of View | 31' x 23' |
Image details: Exposure times of 34 minutes luminance and 24 miinutes each of red, green, and blue, taken with an SBIG STF-8300M imager and a 14" Meade LX850 telescope at f/5.5.
March 2023