NGC 2012 is a large lenticular galaxy in the Constellation Mensa.[1] It was discovered by John Herschel in 1836. With its distance from the Earth being over 236 million light years,[2] NGC 2012 is not visible to the naked eye, and a large telescope is needed. A probe has never been sent out to study the galaxy.[3]

NGC 2012
NGC 2012, as photographed during the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS2)
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationMensa
Right ascension05h 22m 35s
Declination-79° 51’ 06”
Distance236.137 Mly (51.66 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)10.58
Apparent magnitude (B)14.49
Surface brightness23.29 mag/arcsec2
Characteristics
TypeE-SO
Apparent size (V)1 arcmin
Notable featuresN/A
Other designations
Leda 17194

Discovery

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Polymath John Herschel observed the galaxy in 1836, and it was then added to the New General Catalog (NGC). The galaxy itself is a relatively long distance from Earth, making Herschel's find very uncommon for the time period.

References

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  1. ^ "NGC 2012". spider.seds.org. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  2. ^ "Your NED Search Results". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  3. ^ "NGC 2012 - Elliptical/Spiral Galaxy in Mensa | TheSkyLive.com". theskylive.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.