NGC 6951 and Cirrus

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 88:28:28:28

   NGC 6951 is a lovely barred spiral, very yellowish in color.  But perhaps the most interesting thing about this image is the faint dust clouds just visible in the background.  These are called galactic cirrus.  They are most visible at high galactic latitudes but can be found almost anywhere with a deep enough exposure.  The dust is illuminated by the integrated flux of all the stars in the Milky Way, rather than by any particular object.

NGC 6951 is a Seyfert 2 galaxy with low surface brightness.

   IC 10

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 80:24:24:24

   IC 10 is an irregular galaxy, similar to the Magellenic Clouds, and is believed to be another member of the local group.  It has been extensively studied and has a number of unusual properties.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC_10 for some of the data collected on this galaxy.

I have not imaged an Irregular galaxy since I was doing my Arp images.  IC 10 has an extremely low surface brightness, which adds a special challenge.  Also, you can detect some faint streaks on the right side of the image which are reflections from beta Cassiopeia, 1.4 degrees away.

   NGC 100

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:20:20:20

   This is not a particularly striking image.  NGC 100 is small (6.2' x 0.6") and faint (13.9 magnitude).  Even though this is technically as good as my images get, with  3.0 arc sec. FWHM stars, not a lot can be seen.  There is some lumpiness visible at both ends of the galaxy and the core shows a range of colors, but that's about it.  Images taken with much larger scopes and longer focal lengths do show additional detail.  One thing that is obvious even in this image is the absence of the dust lane often visible in edge-on galaxies.

UGC 219, in the lower right corner, shows a little spiral structure.

   Arp 271 (NGC 5426 and 5427)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   Arp 271 will always be special to me because it was the last image to complete my collection of all 338 Arps.  It is a beautiful one, and was a nice way to finish.  This color version is much deeper than the earlier monochrome.

The upper galaxy is NGC 5427 and the lower is 5426.  The interaction appears to have disturbed 5426 more than 5427, as it has a host of star-forming knots, but neither has been extremely distorted.  The eastern arm of 5427 is forked (bifurcated) and sweeps down into 5426 (or vice versa).  It is possible that our Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy will have a similar interaction in a few million years.

   NGC 6503

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:20:20:20

   NGC 6503 is nice to image as it is fairly bright (10.9 mag.) and has surface brightness of 12.2 mag./sq. arc sec.  While longer exposures will certainly show more, it displays well with just one hour of luminance.

The Full Size image shows it best.  The many knots look like towering thunderstorms, or even the recent Phoenix dust storm.  It is full of texture, with the appearance of curdled milk, and quite complex.  It has been studied extensively -- NED contains 369 references.  It is classified as SA(s)cd, but a Hubble study in 2010 turned up evidence that the apparent core is a strong end-on bar.  If that is eventually accepted, the classification will change.

   M98 (NGC 4192)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 48:18:18:18

   M98 is viewed at a low angle but not quite edge-on.  It has a complex structure, with a large yellow central portion, bluer arms that are not prominent but have many small knotty star-forming regions, lots of dust in large patches and lanes, and a large yellowish halo which, to me, seems to not be fully aligned with the rest of the galactic disk.  It is one of the faintest Messier objects.

M98 is classified as SAB(s)ab.  It is one of the few blue-shifted galaxies, meaning that it is approaching us instead of receding.

Other interesting galaxies in the field include NGC 4186, a tightly-wound spiral about 11.5' SSE of M98, and UGC 7223, a low surface brightness, face-one spiral about the same distance from M98 but more toward the right edge of the field.  Almost all of Abell Galaxy Cluster 1499 is covered by the lower left quarter of the field.  Abell clusters are typically large clusters of faint galaxies.  Megastar reports that 1499 includes 58 galaxies, 48 of which are 16.6 magnitude or fainter.

   M99 (NGC 4254)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:21:21:21

   M99 is a classically beautiful face-on spiral, as indicated by its classification SA(s)c.  It is rather asymmetric, with the core off center and one arm much heavier and less tightly wound than the others.  The arms are full of blue star-forming regions, but the knots in the arm that starts on the W (right) side and swings almost horizontally over the core seem to me to show a pink cast.  That would indicate that there is a significant amount of hydrogen alpha nebulosity in these knots.

There have been at least three supernovae observed in this galaxy.

There is a neat little barred spiral just right of the bright star.

   NGC 4169 Group (The Box)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:30:30:30

   The NGC 4169 group is also known as The Box.  NGC 4169 itself is the S0 spiral in the middle right of the group.  By far the most interesting galaxy is NGC 4170, the long, skinny blue galaxy at the top of the Box.  It is classified as an SBd but I cannot see any evidence of a bar because of the nearly edge-on viewing angle.  The color is very different from the other galaxies and probably represents a burst of new star formation as a result of an interaction with one of them.  The best candidate is NGC 4175, in the lower left corner of the Box.  It shows an unusual lump or knot, almost like a second core, toward the end nearest 4170.  Finally, the galaxy at the bottom of the box is NGC 4174.  It looks fairly normal except for the large and prominent core.

The disk of NGC 4170, which we are seeing almost edge-on, is warped into a very flat S shape.  This and the lump in NGC 4175 are best seen in the Monochrome negative image.  It points out how images in different wavelengths can provide different information.  These details are best seen in monochrome but that image gives no hint of the dramatic color differences.  An infrared or X-ray image would probably show something very different than these visible light images.

The galaxy near the right edge of the field is UGC 7190.  A small slice of Abell Galaxy Cluster 1495 can be seen along the middle part of the left edge of the field.  There are host of tiny galaxies in that area.  The whole cluster includes 123 galaxies but we can see only about 25 of them in the field.

   NGC 6015

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:30:30:30

   This is a pretty galaxy that appears to be a popular target for imaging.  A Google search turns up about three full pages of images of this galaxy, although some are repeats.  It shows a yellow core region, with no bar, prominent dust lanes, knotty blue arms, and a large, faint yellowish halo.  There is a large faint glow approximately 1.8' SE of the core, which I'm guessing is the remains of a satellite galaxy.  I've been unable to match it with anything in NED.  Maybe someone else will have better luck.

   Arp 254 (NGC 5917 and MCG-1-39-3)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:30:30:30

   This is an image that only an Arp enthusiast could enjoy.  Things are very small and very faint.  It appears fairly certain that there has been a collision or close approach.  NGC 5917, the upper member of the pair, has been suggested as one of the colliding galaxies.  It seems somewhat distorted but not dramatically so.  It is generally symmetrical around the core except for one arm, or structure, that cuts across the primary arms.  It is classified Sb pec?.  MCG-1-39-3 is the strange one.  At first glance, it looks like we are seeing it edge-on but I believe it is simply so stretched out that it looks like an edge-on.  It has a tail pointing S (down) and another one pointing N (up) toward NGC 5917.  In the Monochrome link below, you may be able to detect some slight granularity near the middle of the N tail, and a faint hook at the end.  However, I don't see the  N tail quite reaching NGC 5917.  To my eye, the S tail seems to curve E and connect to the small orange galaxy 2MASX J15214119-0731520.  Perhaps it was the "collider".

I took a monochrome image of this object on June 9, 2005, which included the supernova 2005cf.  It had been discovered on May 25, 2005, so I was not the discoverer.  In fact, I did not notice it until two years later.  It was still fun to find out I had captured it.

There are quite a few other moderate size galaxies in this image, in the 0.5 to 1.0 arc minute range.  These are larger than the tiny fuzzies that often fill the background of my images.  The most interesting is the barred spiral 2MASX J15214381-0726440 located about 2.6' E (left) of the core of MGC-1-39-3.

   Arp 270 (NGC 3395 and 6)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 52:20:20:20

   This image had a lot of things working against it - gusty winds, poor seeing, and light streaks because the back of my tube was pointed toward the LED on the camera power supply.  It worked out surprisingly well considering all the difficulties.  The horizontal galaxy toward the left is NGC 3396 and the one hanging down to the right is 3395.  Some distortion is evident but they are probably fairly early in their interaction.  The galaxies at the bottom of the field, IC 2608 near the center and IC 2604 in the right-hand corner, are worth a long look.  IC 2604 has a very heavy arm with a sharp dog-leg.

   Arp 206 (NGC 3432)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:20:20:20

   NGC 3432 and its dwarf companion, UGC 5983, off the lower right tip, make up Arp 206.  The knot of material at the upper left end of 3432 is not a separate galaxy but just a nearly detached segment of the primary galaxy.  It is believed that this pair has only recently interacted and there may be more to come.  Just wait a few million years and check back!

   NGC 3628

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 120:30:30:30

   NGC 3628 is sometimes called the Hamburger Galaxy, for obvious reasons.  Along with M65 and M66, it makes up the Leo Triplet.  For a wide-field view of the entire Triplet, click here.  I must apologize for the poor presentation of NGC 3628.  The offset to the right was deliberate because I wanted to show as much as possible of the plume which exits near the east (left) end.  However, I should not have bothered.  The plume needs much more then two hours exposure to make it easily visible.  It is barely detectable in the color images and, while seen more easily, still very faint in the Monochrome negative image linked below.  The galaxy is a pretty object and I would have been better off to have just centered it.

There is also a plume of material with some compact objects below the galaxy center, perpendicular to the primary axis.  At least one of the objects is a quasar.  This feature has been studied extensively in an effort to determine what is associated with NGC 3628 and what is foreground or background.

   Arp 104 and NGC 5205

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 96:32:32:32

   Arp 104 is the galaxy pair in the upper left of the field.  The upper galaxy is NGC 5218 and the lower is NGC 5216.  They are connected by an obvious bridge.  A very faint plume fans out above NGC 5218 and a plume or jet exits from the core of NGC 5216.  This is a very complex and interesting object.  The pair is also known as Keenan's System.

NGC 5205 is near the lower right edge of the field.  Both Megastar and NED list the morphology as
S?, but it is a fairly obvious barred spiral.  It is quite a pretty object but lacks the interest of Arp 104.

   NGC 5964

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   NGC 5964 is an attractive barred spiral.  The bar is long and skinny, and very prominent.  This galaxy is seldom imaged, probably because of the magnitude and small size.

   Arp 1 (NGC 2857) and Arp 285 (NGC 2854 & 6)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:25:25:25

   Arp 1 is the very symmetrical spiral just above and right of center.  It is in Arp's class Low Surface Brightness Spirals, while the standard classification is SA(s)c.  It is a truly beautiful galaxy.  The bright pair in the lower right corner is Arp 285.  The lower member is NGC 2854 and the upper is 2856.  NGC 2854 is a fairly normal barred spiral, with hints of a long tail curving off to the south and an even fainter tail heading toward 2856.  This is easiest to see in the negative image.  NGC 2856 is the strange one, with a jet taking off from the core, perpendicular to the axis, and then hooking to the NNW.  Dr. Arp's 200-inch photo had much greater resolution, clearly showing several tiny knots in the jet, but this image is deeper.  The 200-inch photo shows a shorter jet, without the hook.

There are a host of other galaxies in this field, the brightest being UGC 5016, just inside the left edge.  It is listed as magnitude 15.2.

   M81 (NGC 3031)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:20:20:20

   M81 is a big bright object, easy to image,  A previous wide field image with my AT66 shows the trio of the M81, M82, and NGC 3077.  The very faint smudge to the left of M81 is UGC 5336, an Im galaxy with a very low surface brightness.

There is a wealth of information available on M81.  It is one of the closest galaxies outside our local group, it is believed to have a super-massive black hole at the core, and only one supernova has been seen in this galaxy but it was one of the brightest of the 20th century.  Any astronomy text or internet search will give you plenty of material about this galaxy.

   NGC 2336

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 75:24:24:24

   NGC 2336 is a very pretty little barred spiral.  The bar, while visible, is not very prominent.  At 80 degrees N declination, it is in a difficult position to image depending on the type of telescope.  While there are lots of images on the internet, there is very little information of general interest.

   Arp 105 (NGC 3561 & A)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   Arp 105 is the object just left of center which looks somewhat like an electric guitar.  The brighter galaxy at the lower end  is NGC 3561 and the distorted galaxy just above it is NGC 3561A.  The tiny little blue knot just below 3561 is known as Ambartsumian's Knot.  The plume and several of the other knots and jets were cataloged by Vorontsov-Velyaminov, in 1959, as VV 237b-f.  The Sat button below shows a highly saturated view of Arp 105 which emphasizes the color range in this object -- slightly bluish becomes bright blue, yellowish becomes bright yellow, etc.

This entire field is within the boundaries of Abell Galaxy Cluster 1185.  This cluster has 52 identified members within a 28' diameter.  The brightest yellowish galaxy to the right and slightly above Arp 105 is NGC 3550.  Just below it is CGCG 156-2 and then, in a row heading down and slightly left, are NGC 3553, 3552, and 3554.  The last NGC galaxy in the image is 3558, at the bottom center.     

   M105 Group (NGC 3379, 3384, and 3389)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 48:16:16:16

   M105 (NGC 3379) is the large yellow elliptical galaxy just right of center.  It is known to contain a super-massive black hole.  NGC 3384 is the predominately white barred spiral above and to the left of M105, and NGC 3389 is the smaller spiral below and slightly left of the other two galaxies. 

NGC 3384 is classified as SB(s)0-.  The bar is very short and perpendicular to the primary axis of the galaxy, and the "star" right next to the bar, toward M105, is actually a quasar.  The spiral nature of NGC 3384 is not obvious.  It may or may not be a companion to M105 but is near it in space.

NGC 3389 is classified as SA(s)c.  To me, the (pec) designation could easily have been added, since it does not look like a normal spiral.  Red shift data indicates that it is a background object, unrelated to the other two galaxies.

   NGC 1560

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:28:28:28

   This galaxy is seldom imaged, probably because of its low surface brightness.  It was invisible in a 10 second Find image, although I knew it was there because of the star patterns.  90 minutes of exposure was barely enough to produce a decent image, and two or three times as much would be better.  This image just shows hints of the long extensions to the north and south.  Gusty winds and very poor seeing were really bloating the stars, so I decided that it was not worth investing any more time in it.  The classification is SA(s)d sp.  It might look similar to NGC 253 or 247, both far more impressive objects, if viewed from a similar angle.  We are seeing this one nearly edge-on.

   NGC 1023 and 1023A (Arp 135)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 70:24:24:24

   NGC 1023 is the large yellow galaxy in the center of the field.  It is classified as SB(rs)0- but the bar is not very obvious in this image.  It is slightly easier to see (or imagine?) in a shorter exposure.  NGC 1023A is the small bluish galaxy at the E (left) end of 1023.  It is classified as IB?.  Together, they make up Arp 135.  There is another small galaxy, PGC 10169, hiding in the glare of the bright star to the left of Arp 135, and some tiny background galaxies or dwarf companions throughout the field.

NGC 1023A is much easier to see in this color image than it is in monochrome images, because of the color contrast.   NGC 1023A is more granular, or knotty, than 1023, which has a very smooth texture -- check this on the full size image.  1023A also has some small and indistinct absorption features, which appear to me to be organized into a crude ring shape.  

   IC 239

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:24:24:24

   IC 239 is a beautiful little face-on barred spiral nestled in a field of bright, colorful stars.  The bar is very short.  Considering what a gem it is, it is seldom imaged.  A Google search only turns up six images.  A search for any of the other objects I imaged this month generates many pages of images.  The IC designation, low surface brightness, and bright stars apparently discourage a lot of imagers but, as you can see, a lot can be captured with a modest exposure and a small telescope.

   NGC 7741

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 90:24:24:24

   NGC 7741 is a barred spiral with a bright central bar and some very blue, indistinct, and overlapping arms.  The small galaxy just above the N end has MAC and GALEX designations but no listings in more common catalogs.  There are lots of tiny galaxies throughout the field.  To me the most interesting is a tiny pair about 10.3' S of 7741 that looks like a micro version of the Antennae.  It does not appear to be listed in any catalog but can be seen in the NED image for 2MASX J23434806+2555370, about 1.3' SSW.

When I started this image, it was windy and the seeing was very poor but both improved a lot after 45 minutes or so.  The major technical problem with this image, and some of the other images made over the next couple of nights, is the egg-shaped stars.  I believe it was the result of focuser flex or "droop", because it was worst in the images that were taken near the zenith.  Images made with the camera hanging below the tube were much better than those taken when it was directly off to the side, putting the most force perpendicular to the tube.

   NGC 660

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   NGC 660 is in the lower-left corner of the field.  The very blue, unsymmetrical galaxy in the upper-right is UGC 1195.  NGC 660 is in the barred spiral class but it is also one of the very rare Polar Ring galaxies.  These galaxies are thought to be the result of a collision where one galaxy passes through the center (or near to it) of the other galaxy.  The result is typically a starburst galaxy and a ring with little or nothing inside it.  The Cartwheel elsewhere on this page is a much smaller and fainter, but even more obvious, example. 

UGC 1195 is classified as an Im galaxy but it looks to me more like a highly disturbed, extraordinarily blue spiral.

   NGC 1530

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   NGC 1530 is yet another barred spiral -- I particularly love them -- but still very different than the other examples on this page.  It is also a low surface brightness galaxy, and reminds me of some of the Arp galaxies on my other site (www.338arps.com).  The area around the core, and the bar itself, are very complex and the S arm is split.  The professional literature often refers to the core as a mini spiral.

Compared to many of the other galaxy images on this page, there is a real absence of background galaxies.

   NGC 2146

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:30:30:30

   NGC 2146 is a peculiar barred spiral.  It is a starburst galaxy and its condition is believed to be the result of a collision or close encounter with another galaxy.  One candidate, NGC 2146 A, is just out of this field.  NGC 2146 is offset to one side simply because I could not find a good guide star with it centered.

This is such an interesting and unusual galaxy that there are many excellent images available but most with telescopes larger than mine.  I was pleased to see what could be done with a 10-inch aperture and a moderate exposure time.

   NGC 925

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 80:24:24:24

   NGC 925 is a large, loose barred spiral.  The arms are very unsymmetrical and there is obviously a lot of star formation going on.  This galaxy shows up a lot in the literature but mostly in surveys and catalogs, or regarding aspects only of interest to professionals.

There is an interesting little galaxy nestled among a group of stars just E (left) of NGC 925.  Other than a number, 2MASX J02274393+3332286, and a couple of diameters, 5.1" and 6.4", there is no data available on it, but I suspect it might be a companion.

   NGC 470 and 474 (Arp 227)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 72:24:24:24

   NGC 470 is the smaller spiral in the center and NGC 474 is the large peculiar spiral to the left.  Together they make up Arp 227, the best example of Arp's "Concentric Rings" class.  What appear to be two tiny stars on the lower edge of NGC 470 are instead quasars.  There is also a quasar right by the core but I have not been able to make it visible in the glare.  For a thorough discussion of Arp 227 and concentric ring galaxies, see The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies -- A Chronicle and Observer's Guide, Jeff Kanipe and Dennis Webb. 

The larger spiral to the right of the bright star, in the lower-right corner, is NGC 467.  There is an obvious edge-on galaxy between 467 and the bright star, but I am unable to locate it in any catalogs I've searched except for the Mitchell Anonymous Catalog.  It shows in images of the area but not in any other listings.  Further left, just below the second star, is MCG +0-4-83, another edge-on spiral.

   NGC 7640

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 80:28:28:28

   NGC 7640 is a barred spiral seen at a low angle.  From our viewpoint, the bar is not easy to identify.  It has long looping arms with lots of star formation.  Note very faint loop at the bottom of the field, and the thin dust lane going through the core.  The latter is best seen on the full size image. 

   NGC 7479

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 80:24:24:24

   NGC 7479 is an unusual barred spiral, and has also been found to be a Seyfert galaxy.  These galaxies are thought to contain massive black holes.  7479 has a large number of star forming regions, or knots, especially in the W (right) arm.

   M31, M32, and M110

   Astro-Tech AT66ED, ST2000XM, 80:28:28:28 minutes, 99' x 76'

   M31 (NGC 224), the Andromeda Galaxy, is one of the best known astronomical objects, certainly the best known object outside our own galaxy.  It is easily seen with binoculars even in light polluted skies and is an easy naked-eye object in dark skies.  M32 (NGC 221) is the small, bright galaxy directly below the core of M31, and M110 (NGC 205) is the somewhat peculiar galaxy toward the upper right.  M110 shows a surprising amount of detail around the core, especially considering that the telescope is only 66 mm. in diameter.  The tidal bridge between M31 and M110 can also be seen.  The brightest blue clump near the SW (bottom right) end of M31 is NGC 206, a "knot" of stars in M31.

This image was shot in my light polluted back yard.  The biggest challenge for imaging in such skies is dealing with gradients -- the variation in brightness across the image due to sky brightness.  I was able to process most of it out but the image shows a greenish background toward the lower left.  I was not able to get rid of this without losing important parts of the galaxy itself.

   NGC 7814

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 64:24:24:24

   NGC 7814 is seen very nearly edge-on, but at just enough of an angle that some of the interior dust lanes can be seen.  They look like faint streaks parallel to the equatorial dust lane, and are best seen in the full size image.

The only other galaxies of any size in this field are IC 5381, directly below NGC 7814 near the bottom, and CGCG 456-27, to the left of 7814 about halfway to the edge.  However, this field has an exceptionally large number of tiny, faint galaxies.  Many of these are clustered around 7814, some even showing through it, but many more are found throughout the field.

   NGC 488, 486, 490, 492, and 500

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 72:28:28:28

   NGC 488 is the most prominent galaxy, below and right of center.  It is an SA galaxy with delicate arms spiraling out from the core, encircling it several times.  NGC 490 is the first easily visible galaxy up and left from 488.  Continuing on the same line, the next two encountered are NGC 486 and 492, which make a neat pair.  It isn't obvious whether they are interacting or not.  Finally, NGC 500 is about half way from this pair to the left edge, down just a little.  Typical of any field in this part of the sky, there are a huge number of small, faint background galaxies.

This is not a very good image.  I could not get my tracking stabilized in RA and, as a result, the stars all show noticeable elongation.

   NGC 428

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:20:20:20

   NGC 428 is certainly a peculiar galaxy, although it did not make the Arp catalog.  It is very blue and full of star-forming regions.  It is believed that it may have "swallowed" another galaxy in the recent past, leading to the burst of star formation and the disturbed shape.  There are several loops or bubbles, the most obvious being the large one on the NW edge.

The field is full of background galaxies.  Two of the most interesting are in the Low Surface Brightness class.  UGC 772, near the bottom of the field on the left side, is fairly obvious.  LEDA 135629, about 4.5' north of the core of 428, is extremely faint.  It can just be seen in this thumbnail but is a little easier on the half and full size views.  The magnitude is listed at 16.1, and I can find no references to a size.  It is fairly large and I would estimate the diameter at a bit over 2 arc minutes, resulting in a very low surface brightness.

   NGC 5907

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 48:16:16:16

   NGC 5907 is a nice example of an edge-on galaxy.  It is bright and easily imaged.  Megastar lists the dimensions as 12.9' x 1.3'.  There is a lot of texture and detail in the dust lanes, and a full range of colors from dark brown through yellow and white to the blue of the outer arms.  We appear to be looking at this galaxy from just above its galactic plane.  The core is peaking out on the east side while fully obscured on the west.

I was pleased with this image and consider it one of my better ones.  However, to see a truly spectacular image of NGC 5907, check this link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080619.html.   It shows an Astronomy Picture Of the Day with an 11.35 hours of total exposure through a 20-inch telescope.  The galaxy is encircled with streams believed to be the remains of a tidally disrupted previous companion.  There is evidence that our Milky Way has some similar remains but they are obscured from our location; the evidence is based on careful star counts and proper motion measurements. 

The only obvious galaxy nearby is KUG 1513+566, toward the upper right corner.  There are, however, a huge number of tiny background galaxies in the image.  In one arbitrary square area about 2 arc minutes on a side, I counted 6 stars and 36 galaxies.  I believe that ratio is fairly typical throughout the image.  I've included a negative monochrome image if you want to make your own counts.

   NGC 6384

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 120:36:36:36

   NGC 6384 is a barred spiral, with a fairly short and diffuse bar, probably not unlike our Milky Way in appearance.  Among the large, bright galaxies, it is one of the closest to the plane of the Milky Way.  Because of this, our galaxy would look very similar to NGC 5907 (above) if viewed by an observer in NGC 6384. 

Because of its proximity to the Milky Way, NGC 6384 has a very rich complement of foreground stars but, unlike the NGC 5907 field above, it is very hard to find any background galaxies.

This image was made under marginal conditions and does not have the crispness typical of most of my images.  The sky was very moist and hazy, and the wind was very brisk. 

   M83 (NGC 5236)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 48:16:16:16

   This large, bright barred spiral is a beautiful object.  The intricate dust lanes add to the interest, and there are a few pink hydrogen alpha regions visible.  The exposures should have been longer but it is such a bright object that it still shows well.  Conditions were also marginal, with poor transparency, and the sky was completely clouded out within 5 minutes after I finished the last blue sub-exposure.

The largest of the small pair of galaxies East (left) of M83 is ESO 444-85.  Somewhat surprisingly, there are not a lot of background galaxies in this area.

   NGC 4236

   Meade 2045D, ST2000XM, 130:40:40:40, 40' x 29'

   This was my one and only image from the 2010 Texas Star Party.  I spent three nights determining that I had a broken wire inside a 9-pin connector, which was preventing me from guiding, and there were a couple of "iffy" weather nights.

NGC 4236 is a huge galaxy, 22' x 7.2', with a magnitude of 10.1, and has a very low surface brightness.  In three different catalogs, S.B. is listed as 15.0, 16.0, and 23.5 mag./sq. arc sec.  The last one is obviously an error, but it is dim.  I was imaging at f/10, which didn't help, but there was no hint of the galaxy in 10-minute color sub-exposures until I turned on log scaling.

It is a barred spiral and has some interesting features, especially the bright blue "hook" just above and to the left of the core. 

   NGC 3193 Group (Arp 316)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 120:30:30:30

   NGC 3193 is the elliptical galaxy above the center of the field.  With NGC 3190, the nearly edge-on spiral, and NGC 3187, the blue dog-leg galaxy, it completes Arp 316.  NGC 3185, the spiral in the lower right corner, is not part of the Arp group but is an interesting galaxy.  It has an extremely faint yellowish halo twice the diameter of the bright part of the galaxy.  Both 3190 and 3187 show obvious evidence of interaction.  On close inspection, this image shows a wide band of material connecting 3193 and 3190, and a narrower U-shaped band from the SW end of 3187 to the S side of 3190.

There are many more galaxies in the field.  Four of the more interesting are the clumpy irregular SDSS_J101832.71+215236.4 about 2' SE of 3193, the tiny edge-on 2MASXJ10181187+2151294 between 3193 and 3190, 2MASXJ10174317+2150588 on the SW tip of 3187, and LSBC D500-05 about 20% of the way up from the bottom and just E (left) of center.

   M102 (NGC 5866)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 50:25:25:25

   I'm identifying NGC 5866 as M102 at some risk.  For many years, M102 was considered a "missing" Messier object -- never correctly cataloged -- but in recent years there seems to be fairly wide agreement that it is really NGC 5866.  However, the debate continues.

The extremely narrow dark lane (galactic disk) bisecting the galaxy is its most interesting feature, but the bright flares at both ends of the dark lane are also unusual.  This image is shorter and not as deep as the Arp 316 image above, and does not show nearly as many background galaxies.  The ones seen aren't especially interesting.

M102 was placed off-center in the field so I could find a suitable guide star. 

   M87 and (Most of) Markarian's Chain

   Astro-Tech AT66ED, ST2000XM, 90:25:25:25 minutes, 73' x 99'

   This image is near the center of the great Virgo Galaxy Cluster.  M87 is the elliptical galaxy in the lower left corner.  The string of galaxies running from M84 near the right edge of the field to NGC 4473 right on the top left edge is most of what is known as Markarian's Chain.  NGC 4477, out of the field to the top, is definitely considered part of the chain, and some consider M88, almost another degree past 4477, to be part of it, too.  Since I wanted to include M87, this was as many as I could fit in.  The other larger chain galaxies are M86, the elliptical left of M84, NGC 4438 and 4435, the pair just above center (which together make up Arp 120), and NGC 4461 and 4458, the smaller pair midway between NGC 4438 and NGC 4473.  There are a total of 18 NGC galaxies plus a number of IC galaxies.  I can count about 60 galaxies in this field, and many of the fainter "stars" are actually galaxies too tiny to identify.

This image was made at Fort McKavett, TX.

   NGC 3718 (Arp 214), NGC 3729, and Arp 322

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 88:24:24:24

   This is a jam-packed field with lots of interesting stuff.  The largest galaxy, Arp 214, is like no other.  It has an amazing array of loops, bands, tails, and barbs.  See The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies for a diagram highlighting some of the faintest features.  Just south of it is Arp 322, a chain of five tiny galaxies, three appearing to be in contact.  This group is also known as Hickson 56.  And to complete the package, NGC 3729, toward the upper left, is also a very strange object, even though it did not make the Arp catalog.  There are many more tiny galaxies scattered throughout the field.

   M100 (NGC 4321)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 96:32:32:32

   Messier 100 is the centerpiece of this image.  The small galaxy just above and slightly left of M100 is NGC 4322 and the one directly to the left is NGC 4328.  The faint outer halo of M100 appears to connect to both of these galaxies but I'm not sure whether they are believed to be interacting.  The faint irregular galaxy near the right edge of the field is MCG+3-32-11.  The image contains a number of VCC and Mitchell Anonymous galaxies, plus many tiny background galaxies.

   NGC 2683

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 72:24:24:24

   This very attractive, nearly edge-on galaxy shows a lot of interesting dust lane texture, especially on the NW side.  The bright core just peeks through the arms.  This is best seen in the full size version.  There are 17 Mitchell Anonymous and one KUG galaxy included in the field.

   M74 (NGC 628)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 160:48:48:32

   This beautiful face-on spiral is about as perfect as they come.  The form and colors are wonderful.  My image does not show as much faint background structure as you might expect given the length of the exposure.  Reflections from Eta Pisces, at 3.6 magnitude and about 1.3 degrees to the SW, made obvious streaks in the image and I had to balance between showing all the faint stuff versus reducing the streaks.  There is probably a nut or bolt end somewhere in my tube that is not completely blackened, but I haven't been able to locate it yet.

It is not an easy object visually.  While it has a fairly high total magnitude of 9.4, it is large and has a low surface brightness.  Also, it does not show as much brightening toward the core as do many galaxies.

   NGC 45

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 120:40:40:32, 21' x 26.6'

   This beautiful galaxy does not get much attention and is seldom imaged.  The adjacent 7th magnitude star adds a little to the difficulty but also certainly adds to the attractiveness of the field.  The galaxy is extremely blue and has a large number of very blue star-forming regions in the arms.

It is one of the lowest surface brightness galaxies known and has very little dust, making background galaxies visible through it fairly easily.  It contains over 230 supernova remnants.

   NGC 1398

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 64:24:24:24

   This barred spiral in Fornax is, unlike NGC 45 above, frequently imaged and there are many great images of it available on the web.  The delicate spiral arms go through almost an entire 360 degrees, and contain many tiny bright blue star-forming regions.

   NGC 7585 (Arp 223)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:32:32:32

    NGC 7585 is included in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 223.  It's the largest galaxy in the field, in the NE corner.  The smaller galaxy near the center of the field is NGC 7576. There are a number of faint background galaxies, including four MAC's. Megastar shows a quasar right on the southwest edge of the galaxy but there are not enough "roadmap" stars for me to tell whether it is visible in this image or not.

   M51 (NGC 5194 and 5)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 28:14:12:12, 15.7' x 11.8'

   This is a really mediocre image of M51, but it is such a beautiful object that even a poor image is attractive.  The time was much too short because M51 went behind the trees, and I lost a lot of individual exposures due to wind.  I'll have to wait until next year to improve it from my location.  This image has the long axis running N-S.  I had to shift my field to get a decent guide star, and then crop  Because of the crop, the field is smaller than my usual for this scope/camera combination.

The spiral primary is NGC 5194 and the unusual barred spiral companion is NGC 5195.  The pair is included in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 85.

   NGC 5033

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 176:40:34:36, 20.3' x 27.4'

   NGC 5033 is a particularly beautiful and delicate galaxy.  The conditions were brutal during the imaging, with frequent 30 mph wind gusts and clouds coming and going, but it did show that my new tube was worth the effort.  For a much better version of this object, go to Al Kelly's web site, http://www.kellysky.net.

The faint galaxy near the left side of the field is Mitchell Anonymous 1314+3634 and also has an SDSS designation.

   NGC 5566 Group (Arp 286)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 152:56:40:40

   This grouping shows an amazing spectrum of galaxy colors.   The large primary, NGC 5566, is almost pure yellow, the close companion just off the northern tip, NGC 5569, is an equally pure blue, and the distorted galaxy to the northwest, NGC 5560, shows a rainbow of colors.  And, to complete the range, the tiny galaxy about halfway to the southeast corner, CGCG 47-19, appears completely white.  You'll probably need to look at one of the larger images to tell this one is not a star.

The main group of three is included in Halton Arp's Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 286.

I've included a full-size monochrome negative image which better shows the myriad of tiny background galaxies.

   NGC 4438 and 4435 (Arp 120)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 128:32:24:24, 21.1' x 28.6'

   The primary, NGC 4438, and companion(?), NGC 4435, are also known as Copeland's Eyes and are part of a larger group of galaxies known as Markarian's Chain.  The two galaxies in the upper left corner, NGC 4461 and 4458, are also part of the Chain.  Other galaxies in the field include IC 3393, near the bottom edge, and VCC 1101, about 9' west of NGC 4461.

NGC 4438 includes some unusual features, especially the "wishbone" shaped arm and the strong absorption feature just west of the core.  NGC 4438 and 4435 were included in Dr. Arp's catalog as interacting, but more recent studies indicate that NGC 4435 is not involved and that the original interacting galaxies have almost completely merged to become 4438.

A negative image is included to better show the background galaxies.

   NGC 4651 (Arp 189)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 84:32:28:28

   NGC 4651 is included in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 189, and it is certainly peculiar.  The jet or tail pointing due east, terminating in an arc, is a feature I have not seen in any other galaxy.  For a extremely detailed view of the main part of the galaxy, and a little bit of the jet, go to NGC 4651.

Again, I've included a negative image to make it easier to see the host of tiny galaxies in this field.  None are shown in Megastar, although many have SDSS designations and at least one is in 2MASX.

   NGC 6946 (Arp 29)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 112:24:20:20, 21' x 28.3'

   NGC 6946 is a big colorful galaxy with a beautiful spiral form.  It is in the Arp catalog as an example of a galaxy with one heavy arm.  It was offset in the field primarily to get a better guide star, but also to show the little barred spiral, Mitchell Anonymous 2032+6000, in the southwest corner.  There are a number of background galaxies which show up best in the negative image, but they are hard to find because the density of foreground stars is so high.

   NGC 3623 (M65), 3627 (M66), and 3628 -- together, the Leo Triplet

   Astro-Tech AT66ED, ST2000XM, 340:28:24:24 minutes, 63' x 92'

   NGC 3628 is the edge-on galaxy at the top of the field.  NGC 3627 (M66) is directly below it, and 3623 (M65) is to the right and up a little.  Together, the three galaxies are known as the Leo Triplet, and also as Arp 317.  About half of the luminosity and all of the color was acquired at Fort McKavett, and the rest of the luminosity at the Texas Star Party. 

This is by far my longest image to date, just short of seven hours total.  My goal, which has not really been met, was to show the long "tail" exiting from the core of NGC 3628 and continuing east (left) beyond the edge of the field.  The tail can be seen in this image but only the first 15' is easily visible and even this part is very faint and noisy.  From there to the edge of the field, it is barely above the noise level.

   NGC 5128

   Meade 2045D, ST2000XM, 40:32:24:24 minutes, 45' x 61'

   NGC 5128 is a very unusual galaxy and, in fact, is included in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as Arp 153.  It is also the strong radio source Centaurus A.  It contains a huge black hole at the core, which probably triggers the radio emission.

It is widely thought to represent the residue from a collision of two galaxies but this remains a source of debate.

The image was acquired at the 2009 Texas Star Party.

   NGC 4038 and 4039 (The Antennae)

   10-inch Newtonian and Meade 2045D, ST2000XM, 56:40:30:30 minutes

   This is the perfect example of interacting galaxies.  The collision (or near collision) has distorted the galaxies into truly unusual shapes, triggered a huge burst of star formation, and resulted in the ejection of the two long tails.  The blue knots, mostly in the northern member, are regions of intense star formation.  This pair is also in the Arp atlas as Arp 244.

The luminosity was acquired with my 10-inch Newtonian in May 2008 and the color data was collected using the Meade 2045D at the 2009 Texas Star Party.

The short broken track about 3' WNW (right and a little up) from the galaxies is asteroid Welzl (15425).  The track is broken because my imaging was stopped several times by passing clouds.

   M82 (NGC 3034)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 52:30:24:24 minutes

   M82 is a very unusual object, which is reflected by its alternate catalog designation as Arp 337 in the Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.  This image only hints at the perpendicular filaments which show up strongly in H alpha images, but it clearly shows the mottling and dark lanes near the core.

A close examination of the full size image will show that the brighter stars are elongated in the N-S direction.  I was fighting a strong, gusty south wind during this image.  I had enough luminance images that I was able to discard all those with wind "tails" but had to use some of the less-than-perfect RGB images in order to have enough color data. 

   NGC 2685 (Arp 336, Helix Galaxy)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 120:36:40:40 minutes

   Like M82 above, this is one of the Arp Peculiar Galaxies, Arp 336.  It is probably the best example of a polar ring galaxy.  There are circumferential rings encircling the bright cigar-shaped core, and the whole galaxy is enveloped in a ellipsoidal cloud of stars.  Overall, the predominate color is yellow but, in the larger views, blue clusters of young stars can be seen on some of the rings.

   M81 Group

   Astro-Tech AT66ED, ST2000XM, 60:20:16:16 minutes, 76' x 102'

   The three primary members of the M81 group are M81 itself (NGC 3031, right of center), M82 (NGC 3034, near top of field), and NGC 3077 (left of center, near the bottom).  In total, there are probably over a dozen members but most are well outside of this field. NGC 2403, shown elsewhere on this site, is one of these.  A more detailed image of M82, taken with my 10-inch, is shown above.  I suspect that the faint irregulars UGC 5336 about 9' E of the M81 core and the unnamed galaxy due S of M81, almost at the bottom edge of the field, are also members.

This is another image from my observatory in West Point, TX.  

   Arp 141 (UGC 3730)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 48:28:16:24 minutes

   This extremely unusual galaxy is in Dr. Arp's class Material Emanating from Elliptical.  I suspect that it may be the result of an elliptical passing through a spiral but you can try to figure it out for yourself.  The image shows a yellow elliptical with a blue loop attached, and a tiny reddish knot between them.  The galaxy due W of Arp 141, just below the star, is UGC 3705.  It appears to be a very turbulent spiral, nearly pure white.

My green exposure was less than I wanted because a cloud passed by during the image set and I didn't notice that two exposures were bad until I was home processing them.

   NGC 2403

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 40:24:24:28 minutes

   NGC 2403 is one of the big, bright, far northern galaxies.  It is 11' x 18' in size, and 8.4 magnitude.  It has strong blue inner arms, and more tenuous yellowish outer arms, but there are a number of bright star-forming regions in the outer arms.  They, of course, tend to be very blue.  The core is not as yellow as most of the other galaxy images seen here and on the Galaxies page.

   NGC 891

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 100:32:32:32 minutes

   NGC 891 has always been a nice object to image.  It is about as good an example of an edge-on spiral as there is.

   The Cartwheel (ESO 350-40)

   10-inch Newtonian, MX716 & ST2000XM, 46:24:34:22 minutes, 11.8' x 15.8'

   The Cartwheel is an extremely unusual galaxy.  It does not have a designation in any of the more familiar galaxy catalogs but is almost certainly a Polar Ring type.  The Hubble telescope recently took a spectacular image of this object.  The luminosity for my image was taken in 2007 with my StarlightXpress MX716 camera, while the last of the color exposures was completed on 1/1/2009 with my ST2000XM.  The conditions were terrible while the color data was being collected and I hope to get some better data next Fall.

   NGC 253

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 64:24:22:20 minutes, 20.8' x 27.8'

   This field is approximately 1' less on each side than the normal image because the luminosity was acquired on a different night than the RGB's and I did not reproduce the framing exactly.  This is a far-southern object and would be very difficult for imagers north of latitude 40 degrees.  It turned out to be one of my best images.

   NGC 247

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 44:32:22:25 minutes, 21.6' x 27.3'

   This strange galaxy is very similar in size, and very nearby, to NGC 253, which can be seen just above.  It is also almost two magnitudes fainter, making it more difficult for visual or CCD observers.  I was fighting very strong, gusty winds and increasing haze as this image was acquired.  It is not nearly as good as the NGC 253 image; the full size image really shows the deficiencies.

   NGC 1097 (Arp 77)

   Two versions:
       10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 44:32:32:48 minutes
       10-inch Newtonian, MX716 & ST2000XM, 139:32:32:48 minutes, 10' x 15.5'

   This beautiful barred spiral is probably my favorite galaxy.  All of the data for the half size image was acquired with the ST2000XM camera, shows a much larger field, and has better resolution, but is noisier.  The full size image, combining luminosity from both cameras, shows a smaller field but is much deeper.  The Arp Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies -- A Chronicle and Observer's Guide, by Knipe and Webb, has a good discussion of this object.  The core of this galaxy is extremely unusual but is so bright that I was unable to show  it well in these images.  Click this link [Core] to see a 2x monochrome view of the core.

   NGC 520 (Arp 157)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:32:28:28 minutes, 21' x 28.1'

   NGC 520 is one of the Arp Peculiar Galaxies.  It is believed to be two galaxies in collision.  Notice the deep red-brown band through the center of the main object and the pale blue tail sweeping off to the south.  The small faint galaxy NNW of the primary is UGC 957, and may have been involved in the collision millions of years ago.  In the larger images, look for a deep blue "star" about 2' SSW of the blue tail; it is marked with a "V" in the half size image and is actually a quasar, 0121+034.  There is a second, even brighter, quasar in the center of the galaxy but the glare obscures it.  There is also an asteroid track about 5' SW of the tail.

                                                                        
    NGC 1068 (M77, Arp 37)

    10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:32:28:28 minutes

   Best known as Messier 77, it is also in the Arp catalog.  It is a Seyfert galaxy, characterized by their very bright, variable cores and unusual spectra.  M77 has a large faint halo -- to me, it looks yellower than the central part of the galaxy, probably meaning that the average star is older.  Note the tiny background galaxies that can be seen through the halo, especially in the full size image.

   NGC 7331 and companions

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 40:32:32:32 minutes

   This is a beautiful galaxy group, and one of my favorites.  The three closest companions, starting at the N end, are NGC 7336, 35, and 37, and the one further to the E (left) is 7340.

   M33 (NGC 598)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 60:28:28:28 minutes

   M33 is often called the Pinwheel Galaxy.  It is very large and has a high total magnitude, but is often a challenging object visually because the surface brightness is fairly low.  There are a large number of objects within M33 that have their own catalog numbers.  The most prominent is NGC 604, the hot pink area in the upper left of this image.  NGC 595 is the smaller hot pink area NW of the core and NGC 592 is the large open cluster midway between the core and the W edge of the field.

   NGC 221 (M32)

   10-inch Newtonian, ST2000XM, 96:24:24:24

   M32 is a companion to the famous Andromeda Galaxy, M31.  The entire lower right hand half of the image is a portion of M31.

M32 is also in the Arp atlas as Arp 168. 

   Stephan's Quintet (NGC 7317 - 20)

   10-inch Newtonian, see below for camera, 50:32:32:32 minutes, 11.1' x 14.7'

   The W galaxy (a compact E type) is NGC 7317. Moving NE, the close pair consists of NGC 7318A and B. The next galaxy east, with the long tail, is NGC 7319 and the largest member, south of 7319, is NGC 7320.  NGC 7320 is much bluer than the other members of the group. This might indicate that it is younger and still in an active period of star formation.  Finally, the small ring galaxy to the east, connected to the others with a nearly invisible streamer, is NGC 7320C. All of the members except for 7320C are part of Hickson Compact Group 92.

   The luminosity image was acquired in 2007 with my StarlightXpress MX716 camera and the RGB images were done with the ST2000XM.