Celestial Atlas
(NGC 3600 - 3649) <—     NGC Objects: NGC 3650 - 3699     —> (NGC 3700 - 3749)
Click here for Introductory Material
QuickLinks:
3650, 3651, 3652, 3653, 3654, 3655, 3656, 3657, 3658, 3659, 3660, 3661, 3662, 3663, 3664, 3665, 3666,
3667, 3668, 3669, 3670, 3671, 3672, 3673, 3674, 3675, 3676, 3677, 3678, 3679, 3680, 3681, 3682, 3683,
3684, 3685, 3686, 3687, 3688, 3689, 3690, 3691, 3692, 3693, 3694, 3695, 3696, 3697, 3698, 3699

Page last updated Jul 25, 2011
WORKING: Add positions/physical data (per Steinicke)

NGC 3650 (= PGC 34913)
Discovered (May 5, 1886) by
Lewis Swift (3-60)
A 14th-magnitude spiral galaxy (type Sab edge-on) in Leo (RA 11 22 35.4, Dec +20 42 17)

Based on recessional velocity of 4385 km/sec, about 200 million light years away. Given that and apparent size of 1.7 by 0.3 arcmin, about 95 thousand light years in diameter.

SDSS image of NGC 3650
Above, closeup of NGC 3650
Below, a 12 arcmin wide region centered on the galaxy
SDSS image of region around NGC 3650

NGC 3651
Discovered (Apr 10, 1785) by
William Herschel

NGC 3652
Discovered (Mar 23, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3653
Discovered (Apr 10, 1785) by
William Herschel

NGC 3654
Discovered (Apr 6, 1793) by
William Herschel

NGC 3655
Discovered (Dec 30, 1783) by
William Herschel

NGC 3656
Discovered (Apr 14, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3657
Discovered (Apr 12, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3658
Discovered (Mar 23, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3659
Discovered (Mar 14, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3660
Discovered (Feb 22, 1787) by
William Herschel

NGC 3661 (=
IC 689)
Discovered (Mar 27, 1786) by William Herschel (and later listed as NGC 3661)
Discovered (Jan 1, 1889) by Ormond Stone (and later listed as IC 689)

NGC 3662
Discovered (Feb 22, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3663
Discovered (1880) by
Andrew Common (16)

NGC 3664 (=
Arp 5 = PGC 35041)
Discovered (Mar 14, 1879) by Wilhelm Tempel (II)
A 13th-magnitude barred spiral (type SB(s)m pec) in Leo (RA 11 24 24.4, Dec +03 19 35)

Based on a recessional velocity of 1380 km/sec, NGC 3664 is about 64 million light years away, in reasonable agreement with a redshift-independent distance estimate of 80 million light years, given possible errors due to peculiar (non-Hubble-expansion) velocities. Given that and its apparent size of 2.0 by 1.9 arcmin, it is about 40 thousand light years across. NGC 3664 is probably gravitationally interacting with PGC 35042, which is often referred to as NGC 3664A.

SDSS image of NGC 3664, also known as Arp 5
Above, a 2.4 arcmin wide closeup of NGC 3664, also known as Arp 5
Below, a 12 arcmin wide region centered on the galaxy
Composite of Wikisky and SDSS images of region near NGC 3664, also known as Arp 5
Below, a 12 arcmin wide region centered between NGC 3664 and its probable companion, PGC 35042
Composite of Wikisky and SDSS images of region near NGC 3664 and its probable companion, PGC 35042 (also known as NGC 3664A)

"NGC 3664A" (= PGC 35042)
A 13th-magnitude barred spiral galaxy (type (R)SB(s)m pec?) in
Leo (RA 11 24 25.1, Dec +03 13 19)
Listed here because of its appellation as NGC 3664A, and probable interaction with NGC 3664

Based on a recessional velocity of 1325 km/sec, PGC 35042 is about 62 million light years away. This and its apparent proximity to NGC 3664 has led to its being also referred to as NGC 3664A. If the two galaxies are at the same distance, they are separated by less than 120 thousand light years, in which case PGC 35042 may be a gravitationally bound companion to NGC 3664, and their peculiar appearance may be due to gravitational interactions (in fact, it is generally assumed that the two galaxies are indeed an interacting pair). Given its estimated distance and apparent size of 0.8 by 0.8 arcmin, PGC 35042 is about 15 thousand light years across.

Wikisky image of PGC 35042, also known as NGC 3664A
Above, a 2.4 arcmin wide closeup of PGC 35042
Below, a 12 arcmin wide region centered on the galaxy; see NGC 3664 for another view
Composite of WIkisky and SDSS images of region near PGC 35042, also known as NGC 3664A

NGC 3665
Discovered (Mar 23, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3666
Discovered (Mar 15, 1784) by
William Herschel
The second IC notes "Later observations at Armagh in 1889 and 1891 have not confirmed the suspected variability".

NGC 3667
Discovered (Mar 27, 1786) by
William Herschel

NGC 3668
Discovered (Mar 20, 1790) by
William Herschel

NGC 3669
Discovered (Mar 18, 1790) by
William Herschel

NGC 3670
Discovered (Apr 10, 1785) by
William Herschel

NGC 3671
Discovered (Apr 9, 1793) by
William Herschel

NGC 3672
Discovered (Mar 4, 1786) by
William Herschel

NGC 3673
Discovered (Mar 22, 1836) by
John Herschel

NGC 3674
Discovered (Apr 8, 1793) by
William Herschel

NGC 3675
Discovered (Jan 14, 1788) by
William Herschel

NGC 3676
Discovered (1886) by
Frank Muller (II-436)

NGC 3677
Discovered (Mar 19, 1828) by
John Herschel

NGC 3678
Discovered (Apr 13, 1831) by
John Herschel

NGC 3679
Discovered (Apr 24, 1784) by
William Herschel
The first IC adds "The position should be RA 11 19 02, NPD 94 48.8, according to Spitaler, who found nothing in Auwers' place, as well as in that given in the Catalogue".

NGC 3680
Discovered (May 7, 1826) by
James Dunlop (481)

NGC 3681
Discovered (Apr 17, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3682
Discovered (Apr 6, 1793) by
William Herschel

NGC 3683
Discovered (Mar 18, 1790) by
William Herschel

NGC 3684
Discovered (Mar 17, 1831) by
John Herschel

NGC 3685
Discovered (Dec 11, 1877) by
David Todd (9)

NGC 3686
Discovered (Mar 14, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3687
Discovered (Feb 22, 1789) by
William Herschel

NGC 3688
Discovered (1880) by
Andrew Common (17)

NGC 3689
Discovered (Apr 6, 1785) by
William Herschel

NGC 3690
Discovered (Mar 18, 1790) by
William Herschel

NGC 3691
Discovered (Mar 14, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3692
Discovered (Apr 15, 1784) by
William Herschel

NGC 3693
Discovered (Mar 27, 1786) by
William Herschel

NGC 3694
Discovered (Mar 11, 1831) by
John Herschel

NGC 3695 (=
NGC 3698 = PGC 35389)
Discovered (Mar 31, 1867) by Robert Ball (and later listed as NGC 3695)
Discovered (Mar 18, 1876) by John Dreyer (and later listed as NGC 3698)
A 14th-magnitude barred spiral galaxy (type SBbc?) in Ursa Major (RA 11 29 17.3, Dec +35 34 32)

Per Dreyer, NGC 3695 (= Ball, using Lord Rosse's Leviathan, 1860 RA 11 21 23, NPD 53 44.4) is "extremely faint, pretty small, h899 4 arcmin to south". The position precesses to RA 11 28 53.8, Dec +35 29 22, which is 4 arcmin to the north of NGC 3694 (= William Herschel's #899, or "h899"); but there is nothing near the listed position, save for a 15th-magnitude star. However, per Corwin, the error is due to Dreyer, not Ball. Ball did not record the actual position of his discovery; instead, he gave the relative positions of the two nebulae about 6 arcmin northeast of h899. Those positions correspond to NGC 3695 and 3700, which are therefore properly credited to him. The double listing was caused by Dreyer mistakenly thinking the 15th-magnitude star was Ball's object, and that his own observation of NGC 3695 was of a previously unobserved nebula. In other words, the incorrect position for NGC 3695 was not due to Ball, but Dreyer; but whatever the reason, it resulted in a double listing for the galaxy. Based on a recessional velocity of 10355 km/sec, NGC 3695 is about 480 million light years away. Given that and its apparent size of 1.1 by 0.7 arcmin, it is about 150 thousand light years across. In the images below the galaxy seems somewhat distorted, and apparently has a double nucleus; whether that is really the case, or is due to a foreground star, might warrant some investigation.

SDSS image centered on Dreyer's position for NGC 3695
Above, a 12 arcmin wide region centered on Dreyer's position for NGC 3695
(also shown are NGC 3694 and the actual position of NGC 3695)
Below, a 2.4 arcmin wide closeup of NGC 3695
SDSS image of NGC 3695
Below, a 12 arcmin wide region centered on the galaxy; also shown is NGC 3700
SDSS image of region near NGC 3695

NGC 3696
Discovered (1886) by
Francis Leavenworth (II-438)

NGC 3697
Discovered (Feb 24, 1827) by
John Herschel

NGC 3698 (=
NGC 3695)
Discovered (Mar 31, 1867) by Robert Ball (and later listed as NGC 3695)
Discovered (Mar 18, 1876) by John Dreyer (and later listed as NGC 3698)
A 14th-magnitude barred spiral galaxy (type SBbc?) in Ursa Major (RA 11 29 17.3, Dec +35 34 32)

For now, see NGC 3695 for a discussion of the double listing, and images of the region


NGC 3699
Discovered (Apr 1, 1834) by
John Herschel
Celestial Atlas
(NGC 3600 - 3649) <—     NGC Objects: NGC 3650 - 3699     —> (NGC 3700 - 3749)
Click here for Introductory Material