NGC 221

Common Name: Le Gentil

Also Known as: Messier 32 (M32), Arp 168

Object Type: Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

Constellation: Andromeda

Distance from Earth: 2.49 million light years

Apparent Magnitude: 8.08

Coordinates: RA 00H 42M 41.8S DEC 40 deg 51 min 55 sec

Actual Size: 6,500 light years in diameter.

Apparent Dimensions: 8.7 arc-minutes x 6.5 arc-minutes

Discovered by: Guillaume Le Gentil discovered the galaxy on October 29, 1749.
He noted, “While observing the Andromeda Nebula with a fine 18-foot telescope… I saw another small nebula, about one minute in diameter which appeared to throw out two small rays; one to the right and the other to the left.“
Charles Messier first observed the galaxy in 1757 and catalogued it on August 3, 1764, also thinking that it was a nebula.

Description: M32 is a satellite galaxy of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy and was named after Guillaume Le Gentil who discovered it in 1749.
Like more ordinary elliptical galaxies, M32 contains mostly older faint red and yellow stars with practically no dust or gas and consequently no current star formation.
It does, however, show hints of star formation in the relatively recent past.
Messier 32 is a member of the Local Group of galaxies, which also includes the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and the Milky Way among others.
It was the first elliptical galaxy to be discovered.
Messier 32 is a prototype for a class of galaxies known as compact ellipticals. It is believed to have once been a spiral galaxy, but as a result of interaction with the much larger Andromeda, its spiral arms were ripped off by the tidal forces from M31 and its stars and globular clusters now reside in the larger galaxy’s halo.
M32 contains almost no gas or dust and shows no evidence of any current star forming activity, but there are indications that star formation took place in the galaxy in the past.
Like other elliptical galaxies, M32 is home to mostly old red and yellow stars.

Click Below Image(s) for Full Size:

M32 can be seen in binoculars and appears like a hazy patch of light. In small telescopes, it looks like a diffuse ball of light with a bright core, surrounded by a small halo. 8-inch telescopes will reveal the galaxy’s oval shape, but even larger instruments will not show much detail because M32 is very small, especially when compared to M31.
The best time to view M31 is October-December.

Platesolve

NGC 221 Galaxy

Imaging Details
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