Saturday, October 21, 2017

imaged NGC 2276 and friends (Halifax)

The BGO returned an image centred on GSC 04622 00638. It features NGC 2276 in Cepheus. A "two in the view" target. I was hoping to get 2276 and NGC 2300 but I chopped it off. Happily, there are many more smaller galaxies in the area.

NGC 2276 and neighbours in luminance

Luminance only, 60 seconds subexposures, 10 stacked shots. FITS Liberator, GIMP. North is up; east is left.

We viewed this Arp target in Glendo...

Of course, the brightest member is NGC 2276, a wonderful rich spiral. Curiously, it is off-centre. That is, the core of the galaxy is not centred in the arms. Gravitational tidal forces at work, no doubt. It is also known as Arp 25. The core is not overly bright. There seems to be a smooth ring around the core while the arms are mottled.

The bright star right or west of the spiral is HD 51141, a very tight double.

Far to the west is a small edge-on spiral, known as MCG 14-4-24.

Further west is tiny LEDA 2790096. It looks like another spiral.

Still further west is a large elliptical: MCG 14-4-20. A smooth oval with a bright core.

South of these three is a canted spiral. It's MCG 14-4-21.

Further south is MCG 14-4-26. It looks an elliptical to me. SkyTools says it is a spiral.

Again, I cut off NGC 2300. It is the glow to the east-south-east to 2276.

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Wikipedia link: NGC 2276.

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