NGC 3115
Lenticular galaxy in the constellation Sextans
NGC 3115 is a field lenticular (S0) galaxy in the constellation Sextans. Alternatively, it is identified as the Spindle Galaxy or Caldwell 53. The galaxy was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on February 22, 1787. At about 32 million light-years away from Earth, it is several times bigger than the Milky Way. It is a lenticular (S0) galaxy because it contains a disk and a central bulge of stars, but without a detectable spiral pattern. NGC 3115 is seen almost exactly edge-on, but was nevertheless mis-classified as elliptical. There is some speculation that NGC 3115, in its youth, was a quasar.
One supernova has been observed in NGC 3115: SN 1935B (type and mag. unknown).
Star formation
NGC 3115 has consumed most of the gas of its youthful accretion disk.
“NGC 3115” enters the record as lenticular galaxy in the constellation Sextans. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Lenticular, galaxy and constellation can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“NGC 3115” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Lenticular, galaxy and constellation provides the most credible route into that argument.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q671468. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1787.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “NGC 3115”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow NGC 3115 primary sources, NGC 3115 archive and Lenticular research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “NGC 3115”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “NGC 3115” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.