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Fornax A (NGC 1316)
lenticular galaxy in Fornax
Fornax A is a giant lenticular galaxy that is the result of galaxy mergers. Faint dust lanes and shells of stars show in long exposures, and it is a strong radio source. NGC 1317, a small companion galaxy, sits right next to it in the same frame.
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// Key facts
- Catalog
- NGC 1316
- Type
- lenticular galaxy
- Constellation
- Fornax
- Size
- 12′ across
- Brightness
- Magnitude 8.5
- Distance
- about 62 million light-years
- Peak month (any location)
- Nov
- Typical prime months
- Aug to Jan
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Filter
- No filter (broadband); a light-pollution filter is optional
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How to image Fornax A
- At about 12 arcminutes, use 1,000 to 2,000 mm.
- Fine shells and dust lanes appear only with long total exposure, so be patient.
- It only gets about 18 degrees up from 35 degrees north, so shoot near the meridian.
Framing: what focal length?
NGC 1316 is small, so a "60% of the frame" focal length would be impractical. Here is how much of an APS-C frame it covers at common long focal lengths; expect to crop.
| Focal length | Share of the frame width |
|---|---|
| 1,000 mm | about 15% |
| 2,000 mm | about 30% |
| 3,000 mm | about 45% |
How high does it climb from your latitude?
The highest point NGC 1316 reaches in the sky. Above about 60° is excellent, 30° to 60° is workable, and under 30° you are looking through a lot of air.
| Latitude | Highest point | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 55°N (Scotland, Alaska) | below horizon | Never rises |
| 45°N (Minneapolis, Milan) | 8° | Stays low |
| 35°N (Los Angeles, Tokyo) | 18° | Stays low |
| 25°N (Miami, Cairo) | 28° | Stays low |
| 35°S (Sydney, Santiago) | 88° | High in the sky |
Also worth imaging
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