At a Glance
Object: NGC 5350 Group
Type: Galaxy Group
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Distance: 120 million light-years
Catalog: NGC
Best Season: Summer
The NGC 5350 Group is a small but fascinating collection of galaxies located in the constellation Canes Venatici. This group is also commonly associated with Hickson Compact Group 68, a tight gathering that includes NGC 5350, NGC 5353, NGC 5354, NGC 5355, and NGC 5358.
At first glance, this area of sky may not look as dramatic as a large showpiece galaxy like M51, but it has a different kind of appeal. Instead of one main object, the NGC 5350 Group gives us several galaxies packed into the same field of view. Each one has its own shape and character, from the spiral structure of NGC 5350 to the smoother lenticular and elliptical-looking galaxies nearby.
NGC 5350 itself is a barred spiral galaxy, meaning it has a central bar-shaped structure with spiral arms extending from it. Other members of the group, such as NGC 5353 and NGC 5354, appear more rounded or lens-shaped. Together, they create a wonderful example of how galaxies often live in groups rather than drifting through space alone.
The brighter members of this group were discovered by William Herschel in 1788, while NGC 5358 was later discovered by Édouard Stephan in 1880. The group lies roughly around 120 million light-years away, placing it far beyond the nearby galaxies of our local cosmic neighborhood.
For astrophotographers, the NGC 5350 Group is a rewarding target because it captures the feeling of looking deep into the universe. The individual galaxies are not huge or overly bright, but the scene is rich with detail. A wide enough image may also include nearby NGC 5371, adding another impressive galaxy to the field.
Capture Details
| Telescope | Celestron Nexstar 8se |
| Reducer/Flattener | None |
| Filter | Optolong L-Pro |
| Camera | ZWO ASI294 MC Pro |
| Mount | Skywatcher EQM-35 Pro |
| Total Captured | 128 |
| Total Time | 4 hours 16 minutes |
| Capture Software | N.I.N.A. |
Guiding | PHD2, ZWO asi120mm mini, |
| Processed in | PixInsight |
Backyard Capture Notes
The NGC 5350 Group is a great target for showing multiple galaxies in a single backyard image. The challenge is that the galaxies are relatively small and faint, so good tracking, sharp focus, and enough total exposure time are important. Processing should be gentle enough to preserve the faint galaxy shapes while keeping the background sky smooth. This is the kind of field where the fun comes from exploring the image and realizing how many distant galaxies are hiding in one patch of sky.