Arp 296, Arp 299 (NGC 3690), and supernova SN 2023 wrk

[gorann]

The Arp catalogue given out Dr. Halton C. Arp between 1961 and 1966 is named the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Arp 299 (aka NGC 3690) is the central group in this image and probably consists of at least three interacting galaxies.  Arp 296 is the two interacting galaxies to the right of Arp 299, described as "double galaxy with long filaments". There is no interactions between Arp 299 and 296 since Arp 299 is approximately 130 million light-years away while Arp 296 is much further away (approximately 800 million light-years).

The image also show some very faint tidal trails stretching out upwards and downwards from Arp 299.

By pure chance I also caught a supernova during my exposures. I had no idea that it was there but then I noticed this recent post by Thomas Rox on Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/4aw6t3/. It is the blue dot near the top right edge of Arp 299 and is named SN 2023 wrk. It was discovered on 4 November 2023 and it is a type Ia supernova. It is clearly still shining quite brightly.

I took this image taken with the Margareta Westlund Telescope in southern Spain, owned by the Swedish Amateur Astronomical Society and available remotely to its members. It is a Planewave CDK17 with an ASI6200MM. 65 x 2 min lum and 20 x 2 min of each RGB, so 4.2 hours. Processed in PI and PS.

Please zoom in, there is no shortage of galaxies in this image. Is it only me that see a face in Arp 299?

Cheers, Göran

[WolfieGlos]

22 hours ago, gorann said:

Planewave CDK17 with an ASI6200MM

That's some serious kit, you certainly are lucky to have access to something like that Goran! As if a dual Rasa rig isn't enough....

Superb image too, by the way! 😄 So many small fuzzies around the field, with some minute detail in them too. And of course the tidal streams. The one between the two PGC's to the right of NGC3690 is particularly striking. Is that a faint stream running from IC694 down to the bottom-right?

[Elp]

Indeed, very peculiar for a tidal stream to be so straight.

 

[ollypenrice]

Splendid tidal streamers. Arp was an interesting character who shared Hubble's doubts about the redshift-as-distance interpretation and was in search of 'new physics' to offer an explanation. Neither of them found any but, as Feynman said, 'Science is a culture of doubt.' So far, I don't think he has been studied by a biographer but he deserves to be.

Olly

[gorann]

17 hours ago, WolfieGlos said:

That's some serious kit, you certainly are lucky to have access to something like that Goran! As if a dual Rasa rig isn't enough....

Superb image too, by the way! 😄 So many small fuzzies around the field, with some minute detail in them too. And of course the tidal streams. The one between the two PGC's to the right of NGC3690 is particularly striking. Is that a faint stream running from IC694 down to the bottom-right?

Thanks and Yes, that kit prolongs my season since my RASAs are resting until late August due to the bright summer up here. Yes, there is a faint tidal stream running downwards. Maybe a the remains of where the galaxies have drifted after they first collided?

[gorann]

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

Splendid tidal streamers. Arp was an interesting character who shared Hubble's doubts about the redshift-as-distance interpretation and was in search of 'new physics' to offer an explanation. Neither of them found any but, as Feynman said, 'Science is a culture of doubt.' So far, I don't think he has been studied by a biographer but he deserves to be.

Olly

Thanks Olly! I think I read somewhere that Arp had the odd thought that the galactic interactions were more about repulsion than gravitational attraction.