| NGC 3003 | |
|---|---|
SDSS image of NGC 3003 | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Leo Minor |
| Right ascension | 09h 48m 35.580s |
| Declination | +33° 25′ 17.83″ |
| Redshift | 0.004930 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,474 km/s |
| Distance | 63.6 Mly (19.50 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.78 |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 12.25 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SBbc |
| Apparent size (V) | 5.7′ × 1.4′ |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 5251, MCG +06-22-013, PGC 28186 | |
NGC 3003 is a nearly edge-on barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Leo Minor, discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on December 7, 1785. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 11.78, and spans an angular size of 5.7′ × 1.4′. NGC 3003 is located at a distance of 19.5 Mpc from the Sun, with a recessional velocity of 1,474 km/s.
The morphological classification of NGC 3003 is SBbc, indicating a barred spiral (SB) with moderate to loosely wound spiral arms (bc). The shape of the galaxy suggests it has been disturbed, possibly by NGC 3021. The two have a projected separation of about 200 kpc. NGC 3003 displays high luminosity in the hydrogen-alpha line, showing a bright nucleus and many prominent H II regions. 25 independent star forming regions have been identified, including the nuclear region. There is a bright and compact region to the southwest, which may be the remains of a dwarf galaxy or an intense H II region.

One supernova and one luminous blue variable have been observed in NGC 3003: