Building on Richard Jakiel’s article “Catch the galactic carnival,” here’s a list of gems scattered throughout the universe. This gallery has a wide sampling from Northern and Southern Hemisphere skies. Depending on your location, light-pollution influence, and instrument, you could locate quite a few of these objects.
Spirals
| Name | Type | Mag. (v) | R.A. | Dec. | Comments |
| M51 | Sbc pec | 8.4 | 13h 29.9m | 47° 11.1′ | Grand design, interacting |
| M83 | SABc | 7.5 | 13h 37m | -29° 51.8′ | Multi-armed |
| M63 | Sb | 9.3 | 13h 15.8m | 42° 02.0′ | Flocculent arms |
| NGC 4618 | SBm | 10.8 | 12h 41.5m | 41° 08.8′ | One armed |
| NGC 4622 | Sa | 12.4 | 12h 42.6m | -40° 44.7′ | Leading arm |
| NGC 4314 | SBa | 10.6 | 12h 22.5m | 29° 53.7′ | Dual spiral |
Located in the constellation Hydra, M83 is often referred to as the Southern Pinwheel. This Sc spiral galaxy two principal arms and a third, fainter one.
Adam Block
Giants and dwarfs
| Name | Type | Mag. (v) | R.A. | Dec. | Comments |
| M87 | E0 | 8.6 | 12h 30.8m | 9° 00.9′ | Giant elliptical; jet |
| N4889 | cD | 11.5 | 13h 0.1m | 27° 58.5′ | Supergiant cD, Coma cluster |
| M101 | Sc | 7.9 | 14h 3.2m | 54° 21.2′ | Normal giant spiral |
| UGC 2885 | Sc | 12.8 | 3h 53.0m | 35° 35.3′ | Largest known spiral |
| M32 | E2 | 9.2 | 0h 42.7m | 40° 52.0′ | “small” giant |
| M110 | Sph | 8.8 | 0h 40.4m | 41° 41.0′ | spheroid |
| Fornax System | dSph | 8.0 | 2h 40.0m | -34° 27.0′ | low surface brightness |
Discovered in 1781 by Charles Messier, M87 is found in Virgo. This giant is positioned between a number of apparently close neighbors, including NGC 4476 and NGC 4478.
Adam Block
Dynamic duos
| Name | Type | Mag. (v) | R.A. | Dec. | Comments |
| NGC 4567/8 | Sb + Sb | 11.3, 10.8 | 12h 36.5m | 11° 15.0′ | Siamese twins – overlapping |
| NGC 545/7 | S0 + E | 12.0,12.0 | 1h 25.7 | -1° 28.0′ | Dumbbell galaxies |
| NGC 7752/3 | S(B)b + I | 12.0, 14.0 | 23h 47m | Twin of M51 | |
| NGC 4038/9 | Sc + Smp | 10.3, 10.3 | 12h 1.9m | -18°52.0′ | Antennae |
| NGC 985 | Ring pec | 13.4 | 2h 34.6m | -8° 47.0′ | Collisional ring |
| NGC 2685 | S0 pec | 11.5 | 8h 55.6m | 58° 44.0′ | Helical galaxy, polar ring |
Located in Ursa Major, NGC 2685 also is known as the Helix Galaxy and Pancake Galaxy.
Bob Birket and John Evelan/Adam Block / NOAO / AURA / NSF
Active galaxies
| Name | Type | Mag. (v) | R.A. | Dec. | Comments |
| M82 | Im pec | 8.4 | 9h 55.9m | 69° 40.8′ | Nuclear starburst |
| NGC 2537 | S | 11.7 | 8h 13.2m | 46° 00.0′ | “Bearpaw”, a BCD |
| NGC 6240 | I0 pec | 12.9 | 16h 52.0m | 2° 24.0′ | ULIRG |
| M77 | Sb pec | 9.5 | 2h 42.7m | -0° 01.0′ | Seyfert |
| NGC 5128 | S0 pec | 6.8 | 13h 25.5m | -43° 01.0′ | Centaurus A, radio galaxy |
| 3C 273 | N/A | 12.7v | 12h 29.1m | 02° 03.1′ | Quasar, closest known |
Found in Centaurus, NGC 5128 is situated in the M83 group of galaxies. Also identified as Centaurus A, it is the nearest radio galaxy.
Adam Block
