NGC5905 & NGC 5908: NGC5905 (upper right) and NGC5908 (lower left) are two small (in apparent size) dim (magnitude 12) spiral galaxies, visually located within the constellation Draco; they are estimated to be about 140 million light years from us, and only about 500,000 light years from each other. NGC5905 presents to us face on, making it easy to see the barred spiral nature of the galaxy; assuming that it is 140 million light year distant, it is approximately 160,000 light years in diameter, making it a large galaxy (our Milky Way galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years in diameter). NGC5908 presents to us edge on, obscuring the spiral structure but showing the dust lanes; it is approximately 130,000 light years in diameter.
Copyright 2007 Mark de Regt