Fornax A
Scientific overview
Fornax A is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation Fornax. It shines at apparent magnitude 8.48 and spans about 13.46 arcminutes of sky.
Observation guide
Guidance follows standard observing practice, derived from the object's real magnitude and position. A dark, moonless sky always helps.
Location in the sky
Precision measurements
Distances and velocities from SIMBAD and redshift from NED · NGC 1316
| Distance | 7.0124e+7 ly | SIMBAD · catalogued |
| Physical size (major axis) | 274,559 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Physical size (minor axis) | 157,270 ly | SIMBAD · derived |
| Redshift (z) | 0.00601 ± 1.0000e-5 | NED · catalogued |
| Radial velocity | 1,803 km/s | SIMBAD · measured |
| Right ascension (ICRS) | 50.674121 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
| Declination (ICRS) | -37.2082 deg | SIMBAD · measured |
Full field-level provenance
- Distance: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · mesDistance · dist · 2010ApJS..190..233M · distance indicator: SBF · catalogued value · source value 21.5 Mpc · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (major axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Physical size (minor axis): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · derived (OpenNGC angular size × SIMBAD distance) · physical size = angular size × distance (small-angle); angular size from OpenNGC, distance from SIMBAD mesDistance · derived · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Redshift (z): NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database · NED · ObjectLookup · Redshift · 2017ApJ...846..166L · catalogued value · NED quality SUN · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Radial velocity: Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · rvz_radvel · 2025A&A...699A.331L · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Right ascension (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · ra · 2006AJ....131.1163S · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
- Declination (ICRS): Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS) · SIMBAD · basic · dec · 2006AJ....131.1163S · direct catalogue measurement · retrieved 2026-07-11
Physical size is derived from the OpenNGC angular size and the catalogued distance (small-angle: size = angle × distance). Redshift is the object's measured redshift — a negative value is a blueshift (the galaxy is approaching, its motion dominated by local rather than cosmic expansion). Fields a source did not provide are omitted, never invented.
Other objects in Fornax
| Object | Type | Mag | Size (′) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGC 1360NGC 1360 | Planetary nebula | 9.4 | 6.42 |
| NGC 1399NGC 1399 | Elliptical galaxy | 9.4 | 8.51 |
| NGC 1398NGC 1398 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.55 | 6.95 |
| NGC 1097C 67 · NGC 1097 | Barred spiral galaxy | 9.76 | 10.57 |
| NGC 1380NGC 1380 | Lenticular galaxy | 9.94 | 4.58 |
| Fornax BNGC 1317 | Barred spiral galaxy | 10.88 | 3.1 |
| Fornax Dwarf Cluster 3NGC 1049 | Globular cluster | 13.59 | 1.2 |
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- OpenNGCOpenNGC (M. Verga) — NGC/IC, Messier, and Caldwell catalogue data
Openly-licensed deep-sky catalogue: object types, positions, magnitudes, sizes, morphology, and cross-identifiers.