List of Naked-eye Galaxies
This is a list of galaxies that are visible to the naked-eye, for at the very least, keen-eyed observers in a very dark-sky environment that is high in altitude, during clear and stable weather.
| Galaxy | Apparent Magnitude | Distance | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milky Way Galaxy | -26.74 (the Sun) | 0 | This is our galaxy, most things visible to the naked-eye in the sky are part of it, including the Milky Way composing the Zone of Avoidance. | |
| Large Magellanic Cloud | 0.9 | 160 kly (50 kpc) | / | Visible only from the southern hemisphere. It is also the brightest patch of nebulosity in the sky. |
| Small Magellanic Cloud (NGC292) | 2.7 | 200 kly (60 kpc) | Visible only from the southern hemisphere. | |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31, NGC224) | 3.4 | 2.5 Mly (780 kpc) | Once called the Great Andromeda Nebula, it is situated in the Andromeda constellation. | |
| Omega Centauri (NGC5139) | 3.7 | 18 kly (5.5 kpc) | Once thought to be a star and later a globular cluster, Omega Centauri was confirmed as having a black hole at its center and thus its status has been changed to being a dwarf galaxy as of April 2010. | |
| Triangulum Galaxy (M33, NGC598) | 5.7 | 2.9 Mly (900 kpc) | Being a diffuse object, its visibility is strongly affected by even small amounts of light pollution, ranging from easily visible in direct vision in truly dark skies to a difficult averted vision object in rural/suburban skies. | |
| Centaurus A (NGC 5128) | 7.8 | 13.7 ± 0.9 Mly (4.2 ± 0.3 Mpc) | Centaurus A has been spotted with the naked eye by Stephen James O'Meara | |
| Bode's Galaxy (M81, NGC3031) | 7.89 | 12 Mly (3.6 Mpc) | Highly experienced amateur astronomers may be able to see Messier 81 under exceptional observing conditions. | |
| Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253) | 8.0 | 11.4 ± 0.7 Mly (3.5 ± 0.2 Mpc) | According to Brian A. Skiff, the naked-eye visibility of this galaxy is discussed in an old Sky & Telescope letter or note from the late 1960s or early 1970s. | |
| Messier 83 (NGC 5236) | 8.2 | 14.7 Mly (4.5 Mpc) | M83 has reportedly been seen with the naked eye. |
- Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy is not listed, because it is not discernible as being a separate galaxy in the sky.
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