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How
many galaxies have you observed within the bounds of Orion?
IC 421 lies a
mere 2.5o
south of the famous M42 nebula and can be found less than a degree
to the south of the star Thabit (Upsilon Ori), a 4.6 magnitude star
that lies to the southwest of M42.
This face-on barred
spiral galaxy appears as a small round smudge of low surface
brightness. To see IC 421 you will need at least a 12-inch
telescope and excellent seeing and transparency. Use at least
130x, and look for a nearly stellar core surrounded by a faint round
haze.
I first
successfully observed this galaxy in January 2000 with my 18-inch
under average conditions. Once found, the galaxy appeared as an
oval-shaped hazy spot of sky surrounding a bright, nearly stellar
core.
The view in a six-inch at 50x. N is down, E is
right.
This image was
generated from the Digital Sky Survey and shows a 0.5o
region. |
