NGC3718 - background object query

[Aramcheck]

Back in April / May I collected data on NGC3718 & was drawn to an arc-shaped smudge at approx: RA 11hr 30m 24.544s - Dec +52 48 29.81. (Top right / inset in image). I've been unable to find out what the object is from looking at Simbad/Aladin & with Pixinsight's AnnotateImage script. Does anybody know what it is?

I've stacked 24hr 12m (494 x 3 min) captured over 12 nights, before I'd worked out that my primary mirror was pinched, so please ignore the star tails... Also my processing is somewhat heavy handed & has pushed the data too far. I'm hoping to get more data next season to improve the fainter regions in NGC3718 & solve the star tails.

Also highlighted in the top/left inset is quasar SDSS J113206.13 +533808.3, which is something like 12.6 billion light years away... it's one of several which was picked up by Pixinsight's AnnotateImage script.

Image taken with SW200pds with ZWO2600MC Pro, OAG with ZWO120mm, SW AZEQ6-GT Pro mount. Bortle 7-8 skies...

I'm not sure if the smudge is a distant interacting galaxies, a case of gravitational lensing, or just a nebulous region. It's there on Aladin/Simbad... Any ideas on what it is much appreciated!

Cheers
Ivor

[WolfieGlos]

Very nice image! 

I looked on Aladin Lite, loaded the PanStarrs DR1 survey and they are shown in a bit more clarity; they appear to be 2 galaxies but they don't appear to be in a catalogue. Similar for 2 other galaxy-like objects just north-west and north east of them - which you have also picked up!

To my eyes, the two galaxies you queried look very similar, in size, shape and colour, so I wonder if they are lensed like you say. Hopefully someone knows what they are. Nice capture!

 

[peter shah]

defiantly something real and not an artifact....nice