Arp 124 / NGC 6361

Designation(s)Arp 124, NGC 6361
Object Type(s)Galaxy
Relevant Catalog(s)All (Chron), Arp, NGC
Arp CategoryElliptical galaxies close to and perturbing spiral galaxies
Obs. Lat/Long42° 17', 073° 57'
ConstellationDraco
Date and Time Observed2024-06-13 23:45:00
InstrumentEdgeHD 8" f10-2,032mm FL
CameraASI294MC-Pro
Image DetailsUp is 271.4 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 20m. Exposures 30s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding.
DescriptionNGC 6361 is a straightforward target, but the tiny galaxy on its tail, MCG +10-25-3 is magnitude 15.8 and another story altogether. And, of course, the connecting dust lanes are even more obscure. BTW, the MCG catalog was based on the Palomar Sky Survey, and contains only a few galaxies above magnitude 15. Presumably this galaxy is cataloged in MCG because of its importance to Arp. Unfortunately, the evening's transparency, never very good, took a big hit after 20 minutes of integration, with a now thickened layer of high clouds shutting me down. It was tough to distinguish any connecting lane from general noise in the SharpCap capture... I processed it heavily in Affinity Photo and just managed to bring it out (note it's not terribly evident in the Palomar capture either).
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