| NGC 2442 / 2443 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 2442 (upper spiral structure) and NGC 2443 (lower horizontal spiral arm) | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Volans |
| Right ascension | 07h 36m 23.8s |
| Declination | −69° 31′ 51″ |
| Redshift | 1466 ± 5 km/s |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.2 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(s)bc pec |
| Size | ~160,000 ly (48.94 kpc) (estimated) |
| Apparent size (V) | 5′.5 × 4′.9 |
| Notable features | SW part is NGC 2442 while NE part is NGC 2443 |
| Other designations | |
| PGC 21373 | |
NGC 2442 and NGC 2443 are two parts of a single intermediate spiral galaxy, commonly known as the Meathook Galaxy or the Cobra and Mouse. It is about 50 million light-years away in the constellation Volans. It was discovered by Sir John Herschel on December 23, 1834 during his survey of southern skies with a 18.25 inch diameter reflecting telescope (his "20-foot telescope") from an observatory he set up in Cape Town, South Africa. Associated with this galaxy is HIPASS J0731-69, a cloud of gas devoid of any stars. It is likely that the cloud was torn loose from NGC 2442 by a companion.
When John Louis Emil Dreyer compiled the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars he used William Herschel's earlier observations that described two objects in a "double nebula", giving the northern most the designation NGC 2443 and the southernmost most the designation NGC 2442. Herschel's later observations noted that the two objects were actually a single large nebula.
It is part of a galaxy group known as LGG 147. It has at least 5 members, NGC 2397, NGC 2434, NGC 2442, NGC 2443 and PGC 20690.
