NGC 5906 & M102 – The Edge-On Galaxies of Draco
Key Scientific Data
Object type: Spiral galaxies – NGC 5906 (SA(s)c), M102 (S0)
Constellation: Draco
Other designations: NGC 5906 (NGC 5907), M102 (NGC 5866, Spindle Galaxy)
Distance from Earth: approximately 40–50 million light-years
Diameter: NGC 5906 approximately 150,000 light-years; M102 approximately 60,000 light-years
Apparent size: NGC 5906 approximately 12.6′ × 1.4′; M102 approximately 4.7′ × 1.9′
Apparent magnitude: NGC 5906: 10.3; M102: 9.9
Inclination: NGC 5906 approximately 87°; M102 nearly edge-on
Right Ascension: NGC 5906: 15h 15m 54s; M102: 15h 06m 30s
Declination: NGC 5906: +56° 19′; M102: +55° 46′
Light-travel time: approximately 40–50 million years
Description
NGC 5906, more commonly catalogued as NGC 5907, is a remarkable spiral galaxy located approximately 50 million light-years away in the constellation Draco.
Seen almost perfectly edge-on, its extremely thin stellar disc stretches across space, revealing a delicate structure dominated by an elongated distribution of stars and a narrow central dust lane.
The galaxy is sometimes called the Splinter Galaxy because of its distinctive needle-like appearance.
Despite its relatively modest central bulge, NGC 5907 is a large spiral galaxy, comparable in diameter to the Milky Way.
M102 – The Spindle Galaxy
Another prominent galaxy in this image is Messier 102 (NGC 5866), commonly known as the Spindle Galaxy.
Located approximately 44 million light-years away, M102 is generally classified as a lenticular galaxy, an intermediate morphological type between spiral and elliptical galaxies.
Its bright central bulge and prominent dark dust lane are characteristic features of its nearly edge-on orientation.
Unlike NGC 5907, M102 has a more substantial central stellar concentration and a relatively smooth disc, with limited evidence of ongoing star formation.
The two galaxies offer an interesting comparison between different stages of galactic evolution.
A Field Rich in Distant Galaxies
This wide-field image captures numerous galaxies scattered across the constellation Draco.
In addition to NGC 5907 and M102, several smaller galaxies are visible, including NGC 5905, NGC 5908, NGC 5879, NGC 5876, NGC 5874, NGC 5866 and IC 1099.
NGC 5905 and NGC 5908 form a particularly interesting pair, displaying contrasting galactic structures.
While some of these galaxies belong to relatively nearby groups, others lie at considerably greater distances, creating a remarkable perspective on the large-scale distribution of galaxies.
Galactic Interactions and Stellar Streams
Deep observations of NGC 5907 have revealed extremely faint stellar structures surrounding the galaxy.
These features are interpreted as tidal streams, remnants of smaller galaxies disrupted by gravitational interactions.
Such structures provide evidence of the gradual growth of galaxies through mergers and the accretion of smaller companions.
Although these exceptionally faint streams are not clearly resolved in this image, they make NGC 5907 an important target for studies of galactic evolution.
Curiosities
NGC 5907 is one of the most striking examples of an almost perfectly edge-on spiral galaxy.
Its narrow appearance makes it particularly useful for studying the vertical structure of galactic discs and the distribution of interstellar dust.
M102 is also associated with a historical astronomical mystery: its original identification in the Messier catalogue remains debated.
Although NGC 5866 is widely accepted as M102, some historians suggest that Messier 102 may have resulted from a duplicate observation of M101.
Looking Back in Time
The light captured in this photograph left these galaxies approximately 40–50 million years ago.
At that time, Earth was experiencing the Eocene epoch, when mammals were diversifying and the first ancestors of many modern animal groups were evolving.
While life on Earth underwent millions of years of evolution, these photons travelled across intergalactic space before reaching the telescope.
This image captures a collection of galaxies as they appeared tens of millions of years in the past.
Image Data
Total integration time: 19h 35m
Integration by filter:
- Luminance: 5h (60 × 300")
- Red: 5h 35m (67 × 300")
- Green: 5h (60 × 300")
- Blue: 4h (48 × 300")
Equipment:
- Telescope: Artesky ARTEC 250 Pro
- Camera: Player One Poseidon-M Pro
- Mount: 10Micron GM2000 HPS II
- Filters: Antlia V-Pro LRGB 2"
- Accessories: Pegasus Astro Prodigy Microfocuser, Player One Phoenix Wheel 7×2", WandererAstro WandererCover V4-EC
- Software: Adobe Photoshop, Pleiades Astrophoto PixInsight, Stefan Berg Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy (N.I.N.A. / NINA)
For further information and the full-resolution image, visit AstroBin: