Arp 275 / NGC 2881

Designation(s)Arp 275, NGC 2881
Object Type(s)Galaxy
Relevant Catalog(s)All (Chron), Arp, NGC
Arp CategoryInteracting galaxies
Obs. Lat/Long42° 17', 073° 57'
ConstellationHydra
Date and Time Observed2026-03-10 21:55:00
InstrumentEdgeHD 8" w/f7 reducer-1,422mm FL
CameraPlayer One Apollo-M Mini
Image DetailsUp is 87.3 degrees E of N. Transparency: Fair. Seeing: Good. Total integration time was 42m. Exposures 20s@225g, No Filter. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding.
DescriptionArp left no observing remarks for Arp 275, so his only commentary is the category. "Interacting galaxies" is non-committal. Most modern commentators suggest this is two spiral galaxies "colliding". Seems plausible, though Arp abhorred the idea, deriding it as "merger mania". He preferred "fission" or ejection, though neither seems as plausible as "collision". I've added the Hubble image of the pair where you can see a well developed spiral structure on both ends, presumably formed in a circle, and now being squared off in the collission like two Parker dinner rolls.

At Magnitude 13 spanning 1.1' x 0.9', this is a relatively dim and tiny target. The featured image spanned only 164 pixels on my sensor and was enlarged roughly 49x in the photo editing. This was my first object of the night, which improved as temperatures dropped, but started mediocre.
Catalog Links
 Arp Listings 
Featured Image