Name your favourite face on spiral galaxies

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Now I know naming the best globular cluster will often bring out the clubs, knives and ak47s but I'm hoping this will be a bit more civilized.

List your top 3 face on spiral galaxies. You can add a why if you like. Either imaging or visually.

By face on I mean at least 2/3 of the galaxy (eg I would consider NGC253 as only 1/3 face on) is towards the view/imager, but lets not be pedantic about it, its in fun.

For me as an imager.
1. LMC: How many galaxies can you image with a 135mm lens with a DLSR and fill the FOV with so much detail and colour. A jaw dropper.

2. M83: It just cuts it. Beautifully shape, great size and so much going on in there. It just sucks me in.

3. NGC2442: I wish it had a different common name than "The Meat Hook Galaxy". Its elegant yet packs a real punch. Jaw dropper for me

[leon]

Agreed Paul LMC is on top of my list as well, now for the others, well maybe a wide shot of our own Milky Way Galaxy, then i expect M31 would be my other choice, not necessarily in that order.

Leon

[allan gould]

M83, NGC 6744 and M31

[Rodstar (Rod)]

M83 has long been my favourite face on galaxy. In my scope the spiral arms are clear as a bell with direct vision, and I am immediately struck with awe. I can look at it for hours to tease out all sorts of detail. I have sketched it, I have spent time tut-tutting to myself about how dang fantastic it is!

NGC1365 runs a close second, the Zorro Z shaped galaxy in Fornax. Again, no averted vision needed for this baby, and it has such a striking pose. It has a menacing look about it, it looks ready to smack any intruding galaxy which strays anywhere near it. It also shares its part of the sky with some mighty neighbours, so it is a great part of the universe to going hunting in.

I have always been a huge fan of the Antennae galaxies, they would make up my third choice. I have spent many an hour trying to tease out the antennae, and trying to get a sense of the enormous gravitational forces at work between those two galaxies. It is a much harder object than my first two choices, but one worth perservering with, a bit like a tight double which may take a number of observing attempts to split.

I have not included either of the LMC or SMC in these considerations. I agree with Paul and Leon that the LMC is simply stupendous for all of its detail. Somehow, as a dwarf galaxy which is so close to us I feel compelled to leave it from the list.

[multiweb (Marc)]

NGC1365/1300 - any barred spiral is really nice.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Some nice selections here. I'd forgotten about 1365. Might have a shot at it again in winter at Astrofest

[allan gould]

Paul
Last year at Astrofest if I remember correctly you did a shot of ngc300 which I thought was most excellent. Was that done with the 72 mm scope?
Allan

[ngcles]

Hi Paul & All,

Just a quick note off the top of my head: M83 is hard to beat. Then in no particular order, NGC 1300, 1365, 2997, 2442, 1566, 7479, M99, M61, M33, M51. There are undoubtedly others I just can't think of at the moment given that it is 2.20am ...


Best,

Les D

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Allan it was most likely M33. I've wanted to do NGC300 again for a while. Maybe this year at AF. Another one I've discovered in the past few weeks is NGC3621. When the weather clears I'm going to give it a real beating.

[strongmanmike (Michael)]

Totally agree with Rods first two choices But I'd put NGC 1365 just ahead of M83 simply becasue the two opposing arms are so cool

Oh and the LMC isn't a face on spiral.....is it?

Mike

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

A decomposing (gravatational influences of our own Milky Way) Barred Spiral. Or so I'd heard.

[KenGee (Kenith Gee)]

ngc1313, ngc 1365 and NGC 4622.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

wow Ken 1313 looks like a miniature LMC

So many new ones to shoot.