PHOTO OF THE WEEK The No-Name Galaxy

Michael Richmann wrote:

Jack Schmidling wrote:

This week we feature "The No-Name Galaxy" NGC4565

[snip]

The gang at NASA seems to have weighed in already.

See http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990617.html

Beat me to it! I'd found the same reference to NGC 4565 as the
"Needle Galaxy", and in the course of searching for corroboration my
Netscape got discombobulated (by some Java or something of the kind
it didn't like) ... by the time I got back to the NG your message had
arrived. I didn't find anywhere else this name was used, BTW.

--Odysseus

HI there. Name for NGC 4565, during the "Star Bowl" competition at
the Astronomical League National Convention a number of years ago, John
Dobson gave this one the name "Berenice's Hair Clip". I like something
like Berenice's Needle, but you get the idea. Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

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"Jack Schmidling" wrote in message
om...
This week we feature "The No-Name Galaxy" NGC4565

Burnham says about this galaxy: " The largest of the edgewise spiral
galaxies, and undoubtedly the most famous object of its type."

I happen to think it is one of the most awe inspiring sights outside the
Milky Way.

A picture of NGC4565 was featured in Michener's "Space" (p.274)
as the great motivator of one of his heroes.

If this is true, one can't help but wonder why it has no name and I
propose
we solve that problem now.

LET'S GIVE IT A NAME!

Send me your suggestions and I will compile a list and see what we can
come
up with.

Schmidling's Galaxy. Seriously.

Bob Schmall

David Knisely wrote:

HI there. Name for NGC 4565, during the "Star Bowl" competition at
the Astronomical League National Convention a number of years ago, John
Dobson gave this one the name "Berenice's Hair Clip". I like something
like Berenice's Needle, but you get the idea. Clear skies to you.

The "Hair Clip" seems anachronistic, but OTOH the galaxy doesn't much
resemble a "Comb"! According to R.H. Allen at least one early author
called Coma Berenices "the Distaff, Thread, and Woof", so beside its
visual aptness "the Needle" would fit right in.

--Odysseus

In article ,
Adriano writes:
Everyone I know has always called it the "Needle". At least for the last
25 years.

Interesting. SIMBAD doesn't show any name for this galaxy, and I've
never heard it referred to by any name. Neither fact may mean very
much, though. The galaxy doesn't look much like a needle to me, at
least from the images. Anybody care to describe its visual
appearance?

I like David Knisely's suggestion "Berenice's Needle," or at least
Berenice's (something). NGC 891 is a similar edge-on galaxy.

--
Steve Willner Phone 617-495-7123
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
(Please email your reply if you want to be sure I see it; include a
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Personally, I'm going to start calling 4565 "Berenice's hair clip...
never heard that term before, and I like it...save "the Needle"
for...... NGC-100....supposedly the thinnest galaxy in the Universe.
(although I'll probably get ragged for that one).
FWIW
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting




Steve Willner wrote:
In article ,
Adriano writes:

Everyone I know has always called it the "Needle". At least for the last
25 years.


Interesting. SIMBAD doesn't show any name for this galaxy, and I've
never heard it referred to by any name. Neither fact may mean very
much, though. The galaxy doesn't look much like a needle to me, at
least from the images. Anybody care to describe its visual
appearance?

I like David Knisely's suggestion "Berenice's Needle," or at least
Berenice's (something). NGC 891 is a similar edge-on galaxy.

I always heard NGC 4565 as "Berenice's hairpin" ... which makes a little more
sense. It's more of a pin than a clip.

Mojo
--
Morris Jones *
San Rafael, CA

http://www.whiteoaks.com

Morris Jones wrote:

I always heard NGC 4565 as "Berenice's hairpin" ... which makes a little more
sense. It's more of a pin than a clip.

That seems incongrous with the appearance of the galaxy; to me
"hairpin" suggests something U-shaped, as in a "hairpin turn".

--Odysseus