skyandtelescope.org • JUNE 2020 17
members of the M101 Group, a small group of galax-
ies that are gravitationally bound to M101, as well as the
other more prominent galaxies nearby.
NGC 5474 , both a member of the M101 Group and
on the Herschel 400 list, is a spiral with a small core that
is only a little brighter than the halo. Located about 44′
south-southeast of the center of M101, it’s obvious at 76×.
With my 8-inch at 93× it was large and amorphous with
a brighter patch off-center. My 16-inch at 203× (which
is the standard power I use for observing galaxies) gave a
similar view but added a 16th-magnitude star on the face
of the galaxy slightly offset from the core to the northeast.
NGC 5477 , another member of the M101 Group, is a
spiral with no discernible core located only 21′ east-north-
east of the center of M101. It’s very faint and very amor-
phous in my 16-inch.
NGC 5473 , despite sitting a mere 35′ north-northeast
of M101’s core, isn’t a member of the M101 Group but is
included in the Herschel 400 list. I saw this lenticular with5475544354225368UGC 883754745477547354855484PGC 503955486522552385250POSS-II / STSCI / CALTECH / PALOMAR OBSERVATORY (2)
HD 118557
7486 UMa
57