Type | Galaxy |
---|---|
Magnitude | 11.69 |
Size | 1.953' x 0.625' @ 75° |
Right Ascension | 22h 13' 21.6" (2000) |
Declination | 46° 1' 3" S |
Constellation | Grus |
Classification | S0?? |
Harold Corwin
This is in a group of galaxies with NGC 7232 and 7233, and those that we now call "NGC 7232A" and "NGC 7232B". Lunt's position is poor (+1.1 minutes of time and +7 arcminutes off), and it is possible that he actually saw "NGC 7232A". Lunt has unfortunately left us no description of his object.
However, the galaxy we usually take as IC 5181 is a large, bright nearly edgewise object, with a considerably higher surface brightness than the suffixed NGC object. It is more likely to have been picked up in a search for a comet (as Lunt was doing) than the fainter, smaller "NGC 7232A". See IC 5224 for a bit more on Lunt's observations with the Cape Town 18-inch telescope.
With that caveat, I'll take the standard identification of IC 5181 as correct. And I have to ask -- what was John Herschel doing when this galaxy went by? It is not only brighter, but has a considerably higher surface brightness than NGC 7232 itself.― IC Notes by Harold Corwin
Drawings, descriptions, and CCD photos are copyright Andrew Cooper unless otherwise noted, no usage without permission.
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