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Sometimes it is good to go for the bright galaxies


Mike JW

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I get a buzz out of locating the distant faint galaxies, especially those SHKs and PCG groups but there is not much to see, so using a list Martin sent me I went to the near by bright galaxies for a session of fascination and wow factor in the UMa/CVn region.

M 106

An old favourite so what is new to learn?  Firstly distance measurements vary from 24 to 31 million lyrs away (24 seems to be the favoured distance). Its classification is SAB(s)bc: LINER Sy1.9. An intermediate spiral with a weak bar and arms not too tightly wound. LINER = low ionisation nuclear emission lines (I could not find a simple definition of this) and the Seyfert designation of 1.9 (normally a '2' is given ) is because it is a weak type 2 Seyfert galaxy - a weak AGN (active galactic nucleus).

My set up cannot fully capture the extensive halo so I zoomed into the central zone and played with the settings to show up the hint of a weak bar, dust zones and some star forming regions

240993424_Messier10614Mar21_08_33_22.png.eed3ef587e7e22ab31a02dc3ffce10ef.png231470170_Messier10614Mar21_15_05_47.png.a5023c63f0de786860a35e4e66ceae18.png

 

NGC 4217  (another well imaged galaxy).

My left hand shot is trying for the 'pretty picture of the night' award. Ok then we can all see the edge on dust lane but I have never noticed the kink before. Also I had not appreciated that it is a likely companion to M106, even though it about 60 million lyrs away. Its classification is SAB sp: H11 - intermediate barred spiral with plenty of H11 regions. My close up just starts to show the well imaged frilly edge to the dust lane and the kink? 

 

1422762192_NGC421714Mar21_15_09_33.png.a7f277953e8b519cfe911da521683cef.png1525248008_NGC421714Mar21_15_11_44.png.84ebcd91718c84bd664204e6317bfd89.png

 

NGC 4906 - this galaxy is a SAB(rs)c: H11. The (rs) means there are spiral arms coming off the ring - it is not a fully formed ring. My zoomed in shot shows a hint of a ring and the weak bar as well as the start of spiral arms, also star forming regions.

1369132359_NGC409614Mar21_15_14_39.png.c552e4d38fb4b718d95b64573f8c42f0.png2012449002_NGC409614Mar21_15_16_16.png.2eab855908093d8932f68b31ed961064.png

NGC 3949  is a SA(s)bc : H11 galaxy - not barred and plenty of star formation happening. Pleased to get some of the dusty regions, the spiral arms and star knots in the close up.

1296636040_NGC394914Mar21_15_17_52.png.981a5996a75725f1e6a35d0d6f06bcd2.png1154395774_NGC394914Mar21_15_18_41.png.777f4b0236427303e9b19069310bf55e.png

NGC 3985 - this is a delightful spiral dwarf, rather odd looking character!, hence the Sm (Spiral with one main arm as in the LMC galaxy). Other designations are SBm or SB(s)m - both these indicate the presence of a bar, which shows up in my close up shot. The spiral arm comes off one end of the bar.

454208511_NGC398514Mar21_15_19_46.png.7b94bf6fcdcd62a5efb5cff0de5d9909.png780172998_NGC398514Mar21_15_21_04.png.c0e16f63faf6b707ae95405cb46f37c9.png

NGC 4036  - this lenticular lies about 80 million lyrs away and has well defined irregular dust lanes. It is designated SO^- now what does that mean? It is an early type lenticular (what does that mean?). It is a LINER galaxy. Apparently about a third of all galaxies are LINERs and 75% of LINERs are E/SO galaxies, suggesting there is a link to age/star formation. This galaxy belongs to the LGC - 266 and includes NGC 4041, IC 758, UGC 7009 and 7019. No sign of dust lanes in my close up.

1468140442_NGC403614Mar21_14_25_47.png.88a9359c5a056ca9eff17f756efb838c.png565665457_NGC403614Mar21_17_16_48.png.e4a8e0f81953fed84601ae6007cf48dd.png

NGC 3726  - another barred spiral (SAB) but it has an inner ring, hence SAB(r)c : H11 and what a lovely sight it is. It is only about 85,000 lyrs across, so not huge and is about 45 million lyrs away.

The close up shows the bar, the ring and the star forming regions. I got carried away with zooming in

1586662041_NGC372614Mar21_15_35_11.png.e82739bef335b097f423cbc380fd3c01.png875736270_NGC372614Mar21_15_35_48.png.e35c8f89c2d6b7eeede8b7abeba34daa.png

16679604_NGC372614Mar21_15_36_12.png.26cd22c6b4d01cbdfe10a914f51eac17.png

IC 2574  - the question I asked of myself is why have I not visited this beauty before? It is a SABm - my definition is 'a mess with a weak bar and no bulge' . The full designation is SAB(s)m : H11. It is really quite small (a dwarf galaxy) but being so close to us it appears large. I cannot see any hint of a bar,

949511447_IC257414Mar21_14_48_27.png.3e12461290c119fa0c963970ac45cb50.png

Thank you Martin for suggesting these galaxies. 

After this crowd I went Ring Galaxy hunting - another post tomorrow.

Mike

 

 

Edited by Mike JW
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Brilliant! A session of WOW for sure. I follow these threads because I find the faint, not often looked at galaxies fascinating for the very reason that they are not often looked at. This on the other hand is like a giant bold slap in the face and I love it.

I had to laugh when you describe NGC 3726 as quite small, at, 85.000 lys across. Only 85.000 lys ! hardly worth a mention😆 Still, the size and distances of objects in our beloved past time blow my brain apart.

Bravo

Marvin 

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Marvin, I love your description of this thread!

Here's my NGC 4217 which started out in mono but as is often the case when I see an interesting star field ended up in colour (not that these stars are anything but yellow...). I was able to get a slightly wider view than Mike so the crab-like galaxy NGC 4226 (early barred spiral, SBa) creeps in too. What makes this field for me is the conjunction of the stars and galaxies. If you took the galaxies away we have a loose open cluster (not sure if they are in any way related though). Thanks Mike for pointing out the kink in the dust lane.

1649552572_NGC421716Mar21_10_39_25.png.2cc7f620d2457f2b8b877df24743937b.png

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Martin ,

I always enjoy the wider fov that you can give to our explorations. The colour adds that little extra something. I have just checked and I do have 4226 just in fov but no more detail than yours.

Mike

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Great thread title!  I was looking for an excuse to post some results form last night's session – my first for over three months, IIRC!  You do forget how to do things, and one of the 'gotchas' I ran into was that I had stopped the clock on Stellarium earlier in the day to investigate some targets, and never switched it back to real time until some way into the session!  My excuse is that there was lots else to think about since it was a Zoom 'virtual observing evening' with the local Astronomical Society.   It also became quite cloudy towards the end of the eveing (10 pm.)

Unusually, I had the 9.25 SCT set up at its native f10, rather than with the usual f2.3 with the Hyperstar, so didn't hold out very much hope for anything. Hence loving the thread title "Sometimes it is good to go for the bright galaxies".

  • SCT 9.25"
  • Atik 460 EX, cooled to -10ºC

M81 & M82 Bode’s Galaxy and the Cigar Galaxy, a spiral galaxy and a Starburst galaxy, 12 million lightyears away.

1673447717_Messier8116Mar21_22_23_53.thumb.jpg.be7404b3f54b79310c197a1c2d0f83e6.jpg1861806796_Messier8216Mar21_22_31_23.thumb.jpg.0e49dce7e4bad595664b31da34a754fc.jpg

 

Two thirds of the Leo Triplet – M65, and NGC 3628 )sadly curtailed by cloud cover) – interacting spiral galaxies, around 35 million light years away

1811987563_Messier6516Mar21_22_28_27.thumb.jpg.367ce28df430e841fee10925dee8fc2d.jpg1900964333_NGC362816Mar21_22_36_57.thumb.jpg.d639e74220b27a3d9edd8c785a5592fd.jpg

 

M108 – a barred spiral galaxy in Ursa Major.  It exhibits lots of X-ray sources and the black hole at the core is ~24 million solar masses.

1287852361_Messier10816Mar21_22_32_41.thumb.jpg.ac9b065dff214129f3a732e86392c5ae.jpg

 

In the end, I was fairly happy with the results, and at least had something to show to the (virtual) audience. At least one other observer on the call was clouded out.

Hopefully, it will be less than three months until my next session!

Tony

 

 

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Hi Tony,

Good to have a post from you - was beginning to wonder if things were Ok.

I know it was not planned as such but I have often thought about trying my C11 at its native f10 and thought it would not be worth it. Your great results show that it is worth it..

PS - despite the promise of a gap I got just 30 minutes and clouded out by 8.30pm.

Mike

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Mike

Thanks for that – nice to know that people wonder about long absences!

Yes, do give the C11 a go, I was pleasantly surprised.  I've just opened the roof now and was taking sky flats, because having looked again at those images I see plenty of bunnies.  Indeed the flats are embarassing!  Must clean the sensor.  I think there's a band of cloud coming in from the north, so probably it will be the same cloudy story as for you.

Tony

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