| Description | Arp classifies this object as an elliptical galaxy close to and "perturbing" a spiral galaxy. Because the spiral is seen edge-on and my 8" Celestron doesn't match the optics of the 200" Hale telescope, the "perturbing part" is hard to figure out. I decided to analyze my image inverted. Sure enough, the up-flip of the lower right spiral edge and the dust halo on the opposite side are a quite a bit clearer than in the positive. [Note: this was the first observation where I created an inverted image. I've subsequently gone on to create them for many more, including observations I'd previously written up.] Researching this after the fact, the the dust on the opposite side is thought to be a crop of young stars stimulated by the absorption of the elliptical galaxy. There does appear to be a third, tiny distorted galaxy in the image, the closest bright object above and to the right of the spiral disk. If in the same area, it's likely a dwarf galaxy with a small tail, similar to Minkowski's Object. The tail is visible in my capture, especially inverted, but much more distinct in Arp's, given the much higher resolution of the Hale telescope. Interestingly, the spiral was discovered by (who else?) William Herschel in 1785. The elliptical galaxy, NGC 1889, wasn't discovered until 1851 by Bindon Stoney using Lord Rosse's 72" telescope. Just a remarkable commentary on the power of modern telescopes and, in particular, EAA observing techniques and CMOS cameras that I can easily resolve them from my back yard. |
