NGC 3521 - Cloud

[mdstuart]

I observed this surprisingly bright non-messier galaxy last night. I think its brighter than say M63 or M108 etc...give it a go!

It reminds me of NGC 3675 in the photos..but what is that odd cloud? I have looked now at over 300 galaxies and I have never seen anything like it...

See below from the internet...what do others think it is, dust? stars ? Very odd?

.....The diffuse structure detected around NGC 3521 (Fig. 1f) contains discernible substructure, such as an almost spherical cloud of debris visible on its eastern side and a large more elongated cloud on its western side. Both structures may represent debris shells belonging to an umbrella like structure, as seen in the image of NGC 4651 (Fig. 1d), but their fuzzier aspect could suggest that they were accreted much farther in the past.

Remarkably, the diverse morphologies of stellar tidal features detected in our pilot data nearly span the range of morphologies seen in cosmologically motivated simulations. Therefore, they already represent the most comprehensive evidence matching and supporting the detailed hierarchical formation scenario predictions for galaxies similar to the Milky Way.

Mark

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very interesting. I will certainly give 3521 a go tonight.