---
title: "NGC 2603"
url: "https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2603"
release: "DR1"
licence: "CC-BY-SA-4.0"
citation: "SpaceCatalog. NGC 2603 [catalogue entry]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2603"
---

# NGC 2603

NGC 2603 is a spiral [galaxy](https://spacecatalog.org/galaxies) Sbc in the constellation [Ursa Major](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ursa-major), shining at apparent magnitude 16.82 (B). Other catalogues list it as 2MASX J08343121+5250247, PGC 3133653 and SDSS J083431.19+525024.7, among 5 designations in total. It was discovered in 1850.

## At a glance

- **WHAT IT IS:** Spiral galaxy
- **HOW BIG ON THE SKY:** 24″ — Small enough that the full Moon would cover it several times over.
- **HOW BRIGHT (B):** 16.82 — Faint: it takes a large telescope.
- **WHERE TO LOOK:** [Ursa Major](https://spacecatalog.org/constellation/ursa-major) — The patch of sky it sits in, as seen from Earth.

## Properties

| Quantity | Value |
| --- | --- |
| CLASS | Spiral galaxy Sbc |
| APPARENT MAGNITUDE (B) | 16.82 |
| CONSTELLATION | Ursa Major |
| RIGHT ASCENSION (J2000) | 08h 34m 31.2s |
| DECLINATION (J2000) | +52° 50′ 24.8″ |
| DISCOVERED | 1850 |

## Catalogue data

### WHAT KIND OF THING IT IS

What the object is in itself, rather than how it happens to look from here.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Hubble type | Sbc |

### HOW BRIGHT IT IS

What the light adds up to, measured through one filter at a time. A magnitude is a brightness on a backwards scale — the smaller the number, the brighter the object.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 16.82 |
| Surface brightness | 23.44 mag/arcsec² |

### WHERE IT IS AND HOW IT MOVES

Position, motion across the sky and the size it covers on it. These are measurements of the object as seen from here, so every one of them depends on where here is.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Major axis | 0.4′ |
| Minor axis | 0.34′ |
| Position angle | 164° |

### WHEN IT WAS FOUND

Who first saw it, from where, and by what method.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Discovered by | William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse |

### OTHER NAMES AND NUMBERS

The identifiers other catalogues file this object under, for anyone joining this data to theirs.

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| OpenNGC type code | G |
| Wikidata item | Q78292870 |
| Wikipedia article | NGC 2603 |

## Also known as

- 2MASX: 2MASX J08343121+5250247
- NGC: NGC 2603
- PGC: PGC 3133653
- SDSS: SDSS J083431.19+525024.7
- SDSS: SDSS J083431.19+525024.8

## Source

[OpenNGC](https://github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC) — CC-BY-SA-4.0

The producer asks: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How this was made: https://spacecatalog.org/methods#source-openngc

## Cite this page

SpaceCatalog. NGC 2603 \[catalogue entry\]. Data release DR1 (2026-08-21). https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2603

```bibtex
@misc{spacecatalog_ngc-2603,
  author       = {{SpaceCatalog}},
  title        = {{NGC 2603}},
  howpublished = {SpaceCatalog, data release DR1 (2026-08-21)},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2603},
  note         = {Catalogue entry, data release DR1 (2026-08-21). Values from OpenNGC.}
}
```

OpenNGC — CC-BY-SA-4.0

Acknowledgement the producer asks for: OpenNGC, Mattia Verga (github.com/mattiaverga/OpenNGC). Fields derived from it stay under CC BY-SA 4.0.

The page itself, with its pictures, the sky map and the observing tools: https://spacecatalog.org/object/ngc-2603