NGC 383 Group in Pisces

Look for the NGC 383 Group (also known as the Pisces Group) about three degrees south of Beta Andromedae. In a 17.5" scope this is a pretty chain of half a dozen fairly bright galaxies. It is also included in the Arp catalog of peculiar galaxies as Arp 331: a galaxy chain.


Observing Notes by Steve Gottlieb

N0379 = U00683 = Arp 331 = M+05-03-050
01 07.3 +32 31
17.5: fairly faint, fairly small, elongated ~N-S, even surface brightness. Forms a pair with similar N380 2' S in the N383 group.
13: fairly faint, small, slightly elongated N-S, bright core.

N0380 = U00682 = Arp 331 = M+05-03-051
01 07.3 +32 29
17.5: fairly faint, small, round, bright core, stellar nucleus. Forms a pair with N379 2' S in the N383 group.
13: fairly faint, small, round, bright core.

N0382 = U00688 = Arp 331 = M+05-03-052
01 07.4 +32 24
17.5: faint, very small, round. Forms a double system with much brighter N383 30" NNE in group.
13: very faint, extremely small, round, nearly attached to N383.

N0383 = U00689 = M+05-03-053 = Arp 331
01 07.4 +32 25
17.5: brightest in the N383 cluster. Fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated, broadly concentrated halo. Forms a double system with N382 30" SW. N380 is 4.5' NNW, N379 6.8' NNW, N386 3.3' SSE, N385 5.5' SSE.
13: fairly bright, almost round, bright core. Forms a double with N382.

N0384 = U00686 = Arp 331 = M+05-03-055
01 07.4 +32 18
17.5: fairly faint, slightly elongated, bright core. N385 2' N and N386 is 4.3' NNE in the N383 group.
13: fairly faint, small, round, small bright core. Forms a pair with N385.

N0385 = U00687 = Arp 331 = M+05-03-056
01 07.5 +32 19
17.5: fairly faint, small, slightly elongated, bright core. Forms a trio with N386 2.6' N and N384 1.8' S in the N383 group.
13: fairly faint, small, small bright core, similar to N384.

N0386 = M+05-03-057
01 07.5 +32 22
17.5: very faint, very small, round, bright core. Located 3.3' SSE of N383 in group. N385 lies 2.6' S.

N0387
01 07.6 +32 23
17.5: extremely faint, round, almost stellar. Located 1.8' NNE of N386 and 2.1' SE of N383 in the N383 group. Not 100% certain of non-stellar appearance.

N0388 = M+05-03-059 = Z501-090
01 07.8 +32 19
17.5: extremely faint, extremely small, round, size 10"-15". Located 5'-6' E of N385 in the N383 group.