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100 Brightest Galaxies for Southern Observers
Submitted: Friday, 13th January 2006 by Paul Mayo

Common lists of Astronomical Objects have historically been compiled by Astronomy pioneers and more recently by institutes like the Space Science Telescope Institute (STScI) who compiled the first Guide Star Catalogue to meet the operational needs of the Hubble Space Telescope. Now a new Guide Star Catalogue, GSC-2, is in production and the catalogue already contains data for more than 450-Million Stars and Non-Stellar Objects. With such an abundant amount of astronomical data available it isn’t always easy to manipulate these huge amounts of data to produce printable, shareable and useful lists.

Furthermore, while we often have reasonably easy access to well established astronomical catalogues, such as the Messier List and the NGC catalogue, we are rarely treated to lists that provide answers to questions like:- Which 100 Galaxies are the brightest in the Southern Sky? Or which are the 50 Brightest Planetary Nebulae in Southern Skies? Or How many Galaxies, in the Southern Sky, are larger than 10 arc minutes and brighter than Magnitude 10 ?

In this article I’ve extracted data from the database of a popular Australian Astronomical software package, to produce the following list of the 100 Brightest Galaxies South of 0° Declination.

The table data originates from the Lyon-Muedon Extra-Galactic (LEDA) database, or more commonly, the Principal Galaxy Catalogue (PGC1996). The LEDA database, created by G. Paturel from the de Lyon Observatory in France, collates data from all other known Galaxy Catalogues into one single database, such that LEDA contains many well known constituent astronomical catalogues that include Messier, NGC, IC, ESO, MCG and more than thirty others.

The 100 Brightest Galaxies South of 0° Declination

DesignationB-MagTypeFPASize (Mj)Size (Mn)ConstellationRA (hr)RA (min)RA (sec)DEC (°)DEC (')DEC (")
ESO56-115 (LMC) 0.902 SBm B 170 645.65 549.54 Dorado 5 23 34 -69 45 22
NGC292 (SMC) 2.747 SBm B 45 319.15 205.12 Tucana 0 52 38 -72 48 1
NGC5128 7.631 SO M 35 27.61 20.46 Centaurus 13 25 28 -43 0 59
NGC5236 (M83) 7.913 SBc B ? 13.3 12.45 Hydra 13 37 0 -29 52 4
NGC253 7.917 SBc B 52 26.73 5.94 Sculptor 0 47 33 -25 17 18
NGC55 8.391 SBm B 108 31.26 5.93 Sculptor 0 15 8 -39 13 13
NGC300 8.785 Scd   111 19.32 13.34 Sculptor 0 54 53 -37 40 57
NGC4594 (M104) 8.98 Sa   89 8.47 4.35 Virgo 12 39 59 -11 37 22
Fornax Dwarf 9.032 E   60 62.66 48.75 Fornax 2 39 59 -34 26 57
NGC6744 9.116 SBbc B 15 20.94 13.61 Pavo 19 9 45 -63 51 21
NGC4945 9.267 SBc B 43 20.42 4.06 Centaurus 13 5 26 -49 28 15
NGC6822 9.322 Irr B 5 15.17 14.03 Sagittarius 19 44 57 -14 48 11
NGC1316 9.367 SO B 50 11.27 7.67 Fornax 3 22 41 -37 12 27
NGC1068 (M77) 9.401 Sb   70 7.45 6.41 Cetus 2 42 40 0 0 48
NGC1291 9.422 SO-a BR ? 9.71 8.36 Eridanus 3 17 17 -41 6 27
NGC247 9.639 SBcd B 174 21.13 5.27 Cetus 0 47 8 -20 45 37
NGC1313 9.657 SBcd B ? 9.02 7.16 Reticulum 3 18 15 -66 29 50
NGC7793 9.697 Scd   98 9.59 6.15 Sculptor 23 57 49 -32 35 23
NGC3521 9.711 SBbc B 163 10.72 5.25 Leo 11 5 48 0 2 14
NGC3115 9.856 E-SO   43 7.29 3.28 Sextans 10 5 14 -7 43 7
LEDA0094934 10 Sab   83 2.54 2.13 Phoenix 0 31 23 -56 14 48
LEDA0095462 10 Sc   ? 2 1 Sculptor 1 19 47 -33 5 2
NGC2997 10.071 SBc B 110 9.42 6.84 Antila 9 45 39 -31 11 28
NGC3621 10.077 SBcd B 159 11.97 5.4 Hydra 11 18 16 -32 48 48
NGC4697 10.124 E   70 5.96 4.06 Virgo 12 48 35 -5 48 1
NGC1097 10.15 SBb BR 130 9.57 6.55 Fornax 2 46 18 -30 16 21
NGC5102 10.28 E-SO   48 7.74 2.64 Centaurus 13 21 57 -36 37 46
NGC1566 10.288 SBbc B 60 8.77 6.56 Dorado 4 20 0 -54 56 18
NGC1553 10.309 SO   150 5.09 3.01 Dorado 4 16 10 -55 46 50
NGC1672 10.322 SBb B 170 6.76 5.74 Dorado 4 45 42 -59 14 56
NGC3109 10.347 SBm B 93 19.32 3.61 Hydra 10 3 6 -26 9 32
NGC1365 10.35 SBb B 32 11.04 6.28 Fornax 3 33 36 -36 8 17
Sculptor Dwarf 10.363 E   110 35.16 27.93 Sculptor 1 0 9 -33 42 32
NGC4699 10.365 SBb B 45 3.87 2.9 Virgo 12 49 2 -8 39 51
NGC1399 10.382 E   ? 6.68 6.11 Fornax 3 38 28 -35 26 58
NGC1232 10.453 SBc B 108 6.97 6.08 Eridanus 3 9 45 -20 34 51
NGC1398 10.512 SBab BR 100 7.14 5.02 Fornax 3 38 51 -26 20 11
NGC1395 10.584 E   ? 5.64 4.62 Eridanus 3 38 29 -23 1 39
NGC1532 10.629 SBb B 33 11.69 3.36 Eridanus 4 12 5 -32 52 27
LEDA0075116 10.64 E?   ? 3.47 1.73 Dorado 4 15 43 -55 36 25
NGC5247 10.647 SBbc B 20 5.19 4.76 Virgo 13 38 3 -17 52 56
NGC5068 10.658 SBc B 110 7.16 6.28 Virgo 13 18 55 -21 2 21
IC5152 10.678 Irr B 100 5.25 3.75 Indus 22 2 41 -51 17 47
NGC1549 10.682 E B 135 4.58 3.73 Dorado 4 15 45 -55 35 31
NGC1407 10.685 E   35 4.97 4.52 Eridanus 3 40 12 -18 34 51
NGC613 10.721 SBbc B 120 5.24 4.34 Sculptor 1 34 17 -29 24 58
ESO121-6 10.725 Sc   41 3.93 0.72 Pictor 6 7 30 -61 48 25
NGC908 10.728 SBc B 75 6.01 2.69 Cetus 2 23 4 -21 13 59
NGC1808 10.753 SBa BR 133 7.23 4.09 Columba 5 7 42 -37 30 51
NGC3923 10.753 E B 50 6.15 4.2 Hydra 11 51 2 -28 48 23
NGC5253 10.765 S?   45 4.79 1.82 Centaurus 13 39 55 -31 38 41
NGC5643 10.765 SBc BR ? 4.75 4.19 Lupus 14 32 41 -44 10 24
NGC6221 10.772 SBc B 5 4.11 2.72 Ara 16 52 46 -59 12 58
NGC1433 10.793 SBa B ? 6.07 5.57 Horologium 3 42 1 -47 13 17
NGC3585 10.804 E B 107 5.62 3.21 Hydra 11 13 16 -26 45 20
NGC1792 10.811 SBbc B 137 5.62 2.87 Columba 5 5 15 -37 58 47
NGC4753 10.826 SO   80 5.48 2.94 Virgo 12 52 22 -1 11 57
NGC4038 10.851 SBm BM 80 5.96 3.38 Corvus 12 1 52 -18 51 54
NGC1380 10.874 SO B 7 4.79 3.03 Fornax 3 36 26 -34 58 33
NGC1404 10.889 E   ? 3.96 3.3 Eridanus 3 38 51 -35 35 35
IC1459 10.91 E   40 4.94 3.54 Grus 22 57 9 -36 27 36
NGC7424 10.957 SBc B ? 9.77 8.02 Grus 22 57 17 -41 4 8
NGC4976 10.958 E B 161 5.45 2.88 Centaurus 13 8 38 -49 30 17
NGC6300 10.99 SBb B 118 4.89 3.03 Ara 17 16 59 -62 49 11
NGC7213 10.995 Sa   ? 3.3 2.92 Grus 22 9 16 -47 9 57
IRAS01097-3812 11 ?   ? ? ? Sculptor 1 12 5 -37 56 32
NGC936 11.004 SO-a B 135 4.5 3.78 Cetus 2 27 37 -1 9 17
NGC1559 11.009 SBc B 64 3.61 2.04 Reticulum 4 17 37 -62 47 3
NGC157 11.012 SBbc B 40 4.18 2.72 Cetus 0 34 46 -8 23 47
MCG-2-34-6 11.012 Scd   160 3.03 2.55 Virgo 13 9 45 -10 20 21
NGC4039 11.023 SBm BM 130 5.38 2.75 Corvus 12 1 53 -18 53 6
NGC2280 11.03 Sc   163 6.56 3.05 Canis Major 6 44 48 -27 38 20
NGC1512 11.042 SBa BR 90 9.77 5.26 Horologium 4 3 54 -43 21 2
NGC2835 11.044 SBc B 8 6.46 4.15 Hydra 9 17 52 -22 21 20
NGC1300 11.09 SBbc B 106 6.07 3.96 Eridanus 3 19 40 -19 24 41
MCG-3-1-15 (WLM) 11.113 Irr B 4 11.14 3.85 Cetus 0 1 56 -15 27 1
NGC720 11.117 E   135 4.63 2.62 Cetus 1 53 0 -13 44 20
IC5332 11.117 SBcd B ? 9.23 8.38 Sculptor 23 34 27 -36 6 6
NGC2613 11.149 Sb   113 7.11 1.61 Pyxis 8 33 22 -22 58 24
NGC1350 11.152 SBab BR 0 5.65 2.93 Fornax 3 31 8 -33 37 44
NGC134 11.163 SBbc B 50 8.36 1.77 Sculptor 0 30 22 -33 14 43
NGC2784 11.167 SO   73 6.03 2.79 Hydra 9 12 18 -24 10 22
NGC1344 11.168 E B 165 5.85 3.72 Fornax 3 28 19 -31 4 4
NGC7552 11.194 SBab B 1 3.43 3.05 Grus 23 16 10 -42 35 1
NGC7410 11.206 SBa B 45 5.57 1.57 Grus 22 55 0 -39 39 41
NGC5061 11.233 E   ? 3.94 3.18 Hydra 13 18 4 -26 50 10
NGC4030 11.242 Sbc   27 4.08 3.09 Virgo 12 0 24 -1 6 4
NGC1332 11.248 E-SO   148 4 1.48 Eridanus 3 26 17 -21 20 9
NGC1084 11.258 Sc   115 3.31 2.08 Eridanus 2 45 59 -7 34 41
IC2469 11.26 SBab B 36 5.64 1.17 Pyxis 9 23 0 -32 26 59
NGC1617 11.269 SBa B 107 4.81 2.35 Dorado 4 31 39 -54 36 4
NGC1574 11.296 E-SO B 35 4.05 3.68 Reticulum 4 21 59 -56 58 26
NGC6684 11.3 SO B 35 4.11 2.64 Pavo 18 48 57 -65 10 26
NGC4546 11.301 E-SO B 80 3.28 1.63 Virgo 12 35 29 -3 47 37
NGC7090 11.302 SBc B 127 7.73 1.36 Indus 21 36 28 -54 33 26
NGC584 11.308 E   120 3.51 2.11 Cetus 1 31 20 -6 52 6
NGC1187 11.316 SBc B 130 5.48 3.85 Eridanus 3 2 37 -22 52 3
NGC1425 11.319 Sb   129 6.07 2.65 Fornax 3 42 11 -29 53 40
NGC4666 11.347 SBc B 42 4.44 1.51 Virgo 12 45 8 0 27 37
IC5201 11.351 SBc B 33 8.09 4.03 Grus 22 20 57 -46 2 4

Notes on table columns

  • B-Mag
    • Total B-magnitude of galaxy
  • Type 
    • Morphological Galaxy Type
  • F 
    • B - barred galaxy
    • R - galaxy with ring
    • M - multiple galaxy
    • C - compact galaxy
  • PA  
    • position angle of major axis in Degrees (North to East)
  • Size 
    • Major size and Minor Size are expressed in arc minutes.
  • R.A. & DEC. 
    • J2000.0 co-ordinates.
  • ?    
    • Value is unknown

Article by Paul Mayo (PhotonCollector). Discuss this Article at the IceInSpace Forums.
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