| Designation(s) | Arp 286, NGC 5560, NGC 5566, NGC 5569 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Arp, NGC |
| Arp Category | Galaxies with infall and attraction |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Date and Time Observed | 2024-06-07 23:07:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" f10-2,032mm FL |
| Camera | ASI294MC-Pro |
| Image Details | Up is 90.8 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 30m. Exposures 30s@305g, Bin 2, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | Captured during a brief, clear window during an otherwise cloudy new-moon night. Transparency was suspect though SharpCap's brightness filter stayed quiet until near the end of the capture. Arp 286 embodies 3 wildly interacting galaxies. NGC 5566 is the elongated spiral galaxy in the center; lower-diagonal-left is NGC 5569, a dwarf spiral with extensive filaments connecting it to 5566. One small arm of 5566 has been pulled away slightly by the interaction. NGC 5560 (upper-left) is an extreme barred spiral, with the lower arm pulled towards 5566 and exhibiting filaments "nearly" connecting them. The classic S curve of such galaxies in this case is slightly asymmetrical, and expanded in the direction of 5566. Judging visually, I presume that both of the smaller galaxies will end up merged into 5566, though it's possible 5560 has already "missed" 5566 and is now moving away. The extreme barred structure suggests it's been interacting for a very long time. |
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