Little Pinwheel Galaxy - a Tiny Pinwheel below the Big Dipper
NGC 3184 is a graceful face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major, often nicknamed the “Little Pinwheel Galaxy.” At about 40 million light-years away, it presents itself as a delicate, round glow in the eyepiece, with hints of spiral structure under good conditions. Though fainter than some of the Messier galaxies in the area, NGC 3184 rewards patient stargazers with an elegance that stands out once your eyes adjust.
What makes NGC 3184 enticing is its large apparent size and gentle spiral arms, which swirl around its bright central core. With medium to large telescopes under dark skies, these arms can be teased out, and they often appear uneven or mottled, a sign of the galaxy’s active star-forming regions. The central bulge provides a steady anchor of brightness, giving contrast to the fainter swirls of light surrounding it.
The galaxy’s placement in Ursa Major also makes it convenient to find, as it lies within easy reach by the stars Tania Australis and Tania Borealis just below the Big Dipper—a familiar landmark for nearly every stargazer. Once located, NGC 3184 offers a sense of looking directly down on a spiral galaxy’s face, a perspective that makes it especially memorable compared to edge-on systems.
For observers who enjoy the challenge of faint detail and the reward of seeing spiral form emerge through patience and averted vision, NGC 3184 is a gem worth seeking out.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
Rating: 🟢 Solid Catch
Level: 🔵 Easy
How:
When: Feb - May
🌟 Face-On Spiral View Unlike edge-on galaxies that reveal thin streaks of light, NGC 3184 is oriented almost perfectly face-on, giving stargazers the rare pleasure of seeing its spiral arms spread out in full. Even if only subtle, this perspective makes the galaxy especially rewarding for observers who enjoy imagining the architecture of distant star systems.
🌟 Accessible Location Situated in Ursa Major, NGC 3184 lies near the familiar stars of the Big Dipper, one of the most recognizable asterisms in the sky. This makes it easy to locate for both beginners and experienced observers, and ensures it can be enjoyed without complicated star hopping.
🌟 Hints of Spiral Structure Medium and large telescopes, especially under dark skies, reveal uneven shading and mottled brightness within the galaxy’s disk. These are the first clues of its spiral arms and star-forming regions, rewarding careful observing and averted vision. For those who like the challenge of coaxing faint detail, NGC 3184 is a satisfying target.
🌟 A Contrast to Brighter Neighbors Ursa Major is home to several bright Messier galaxies like M81 and M82. Including NGC 3184 in your observing plan adds variety to a galaxy tour, showcasing a less prominent but still elegant spiral that contrasts nicely with its famous neighbors.
🌟 Great for Skill Building Because its arms are subtle and not easily seen at first glance, NGC 3184 is an excellent training target for improving observational technique. Learning to detect its faint spiral structure helps build patience and visual skill, making it a rewarding object for stargazers looking to sharpen their abilities.
Spiral galaxy: a galaxy with a flat, rotating disk of stars, gas, and dust, featuring winding spiral arms and a central bulge.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
With the Big Dipper as your guidepost, NGC 3184, the Little Pinwheel Galaxy, is one of the easier galaxies in Ursa Major to track down. But since it is so dim, seeing it can be a bit challenging. So view from dark skies and use a medium or large telescope if possible.
The best way to star hop to NGC 3184 is to use the Big Dipper as your guide, since the galaxy lies in Ursa Major not far from this familiar landmark. Begin with the two stars that form the bottom of the Dipper’s bowl. These bright stars are easy to spot and make an excellent anchor for your hop. Now find the two stars Tania Australis (+3.04) and Tania Borealis (+3.44) which form the foot of one of the hind legs.
Using a telescope finder, point to Tania Australis and center it in a low-powered eyepiece. Slowly scan west just under a degree looking for a soft, round haze of light. Once you’ve confirmed the faint glow, center it in your eyepiece. Then increase power gradually to draw out the galaxy’s bright core and faint outer disk.clearly.
Because its surface brightness is low, patience is important—let your eyes adapt fully to the dark and use averted vision to bring out the delicate glow.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
✅ Time It During Galaxy Season NGC 3184 is best viewed in spring when Ursa Major is high in the evening sky. Observing during this period places the galaxy well above the horizon, reducing atmospheric interference and giving you the steadiest views.
✅ Seek Out Dark Skies This galaxy has low surface brightness, which makes its spiral arms subtle. A trip to a darker site greatly improves your chances of detecting its delicate structure. In suburban skies, it may appear as only a faint haze, but under a Bortle 3–4 sky or better, it reveals far more character.
✅ Start with Low Magnification A wide, low-power eyepiece is ideal for spotting NGC 3184, as it shows the galaxy’s full disk against its stellar background. Once located, gradually increase magnification to tease out faint spiral detail and uneven brightness across its face.
✅ Use Averted Vision The arms of NGC 3184 are faint and patchy, and they often appear only when using averted vision. Let your eyes adapt to the dark, then gently scan the galaxy’s disk. The uneven glow may suddenly reveal itself as spiral hints that surround the bright central bulge.
✅ Compare with Nearby Galaxies Since Ursa Major is rich in galaxies, pairing NGC 3184 with brighter neighbors like M81, M82, or M101 can make the session more rewarding. Observing it alongside these giants highlights its delicate, quieter charm and adds variety to your galaxy tour.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
❌ Naked Eye
To the naked eye, NGC 3184 is invisible. Even under the darkest skies, its faint surface brightness keeps it hidden, leaving no trace among the stars of Ursa Major without optical aid.
❌ Binoculars
Through binoculars, the galaxy is not detectable for most observers. The low surface brightness blends it completely into the background sky, and at best an experienced observer under pristine conditions might suspect a dim, unresolved haze. Binoculars are better used to frame the surrounding stars of Ursa Major rather than to reveal the galaxy itself.
⚠️ Small Telescope
A small telescope brings NGC 3184 into reach as a round, faint patch of diffuse light. Its bright central core is the most obvious feature, while the surrounding disk appears soft and evenly illuminated. Details of the spiral structure are not visible, but the impression of a galaxy is clear.
✅ Medium Telescope
In a medium telescope, the galaxy gains character. The central nucleus is bright, and the halo around it spreads wider, with uneven brightness that hints at spiral arms. Averted vision makes the disk appear mottled, and the galaxy takes on a face-on form rather than a simple haze.
✅ Large Telescope
A large telescope reveals NGC 3184 at its best. The core remains strong, but now faint spiral arms stretch outward, appearing patchy and delicate across the disk. Subtle knots of brightness suggest star-forming regions, and the entire galaxy takes on the look of a miniature pinwheel suspended in the dark.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
NGC 3184 is a delicate, face-on spiral galaxy in Ursa Major whose appearance depends strongly on sky darkness. Its bright core is fairly easy to spot, but its broad, low-surface-brightness arms fade quickly in light pollution. Under darker skies, the galaxy transforms from a dim blur into a faint but graceful pinwheel.
🟣 In Bortle 1–2 skies, NGC 3184 is a rewarding sight. The bright central core is obvious, and the disk extends widely with mottled light. With patience, the faint spiral arms become visible, giving the galaxy a soft but distinct pinwheel look.
🔵/🟢 In Bortle 3–4 skies, the galaxy is still easy to detect, though its arms are more subtle. The bright core stands out well, but the outer disk appears uneven rather than structured, and the spiral pattern requires careful observing to glimpse.
🟡/🟠 In Bortle 5–6 skies, NGC 3184 loses much of its appeal. The core remains visible, but the surrounding halo fades into the background glow, appearing as a faint, round haze with little or no detail. The galaxy feels washed out and featureless.
🔴 In Bortle 7+ skies, the galaxy is very difficult. At best, the nucleus appears as a dim, fuzzy patch, but the disk and any trace of spiral arms are completely erased by skyglow. Its identity as a spiral galaxy is lost, making it a challenge object rather than a showpiece.
Little Pinwheel Galaxy
DSOs within 48° or 2 outstretched hands at arm's length
Little Pinwheel Galaxy - a Tiny Pinwheel below the Big Dipper
The best way to star hop to NGC 3184 is to use the Big Dipper as your guide, since the galaxy lies in Ursa Major not far from this familiar landmark. Begin with the two stars that form the bottom of the Dipper’s bowl. These bright stars are easy to spot and make an excellent anchor for your hop. Now find the two stars Tania Australis (+3.04) and Tania Borealis (+3.44) which form the foot of one of the hind legs.
Using a telescope finder, point to Tania Australis and center it in a low-powered eyepiece. Slowly scan west just under a degree looking for a soft, round haze of light. Once you’ve confirmed the faint glow, center it in your eyepiece. Then increase power gradually to draw out the galaxy’s bright core and faint outer disk.clearly.
