| Designation(s) | Arp 234, NGC 3738 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Arp, NGC |
| Arp Category | Galaxies with the appearance of fission |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Date and Time Observed | 2025-01-03 22:37:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" w/f7 reducer-1,422mm FL |
| Camera | Player One Apollo-M Mini |
| Image Details | Up is 277.2 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 50m. Exposures 15s@300g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | Because of its irregularity, this is a very challenging object to interpret. "The appearance of fission" presumably suggests the galaxy is breaking apart. Yet Arp's remarks suggest, "Considerable resolution into stars and absorption tubes", Absorption tubes I can somewhat understand. There do seem to be dark veins running along the surface. They're more clear in Arp's (Oh, what I would give for a 200" telescope and clear mountain air"), but you can see corresponding veins in my capture. But fission? I don't see anything here that suggests fission. Indeed, current consensus is that this is an area of active star-birthing. See: https://esahubble.org/images/potw1243a/ |
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