| Description | This is a puzzling galaxy with what looks like at least 2, and possibly 3, elliptical galactic nuclei at slightly different orientations. The result is a galaxy with a much larger and more elongated, irregular center than normal. Arp categorizes this as having "the appearance of fission", and I suppose that's possible if you thought that there exists a mechanism for fission. Arp believed in galactic fission... but it runs totally against mainstream cosmology. Mergers seem like such a simpler explanation, and Occam's Razor applies in my mind. I certainly think that incomplete fusion is the simpler explanation of the appearance here. I did give Arp the benefit of the dark here. To my mind the plate is overexposed, so I worked on it and "developed" a positive image to see if there was something I was missing. Arp does call out the "faint outer oval" in his notes, and I tried to enhance the positive view of the plate to provide a balanced appearance. I did notice two, low surface brightness companions, close by, SW of the disk. Does that change the argument? Not in my mind. |
