Arp 288 – NGC 5221 and 5222
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Arp, NGC |
| Arp Category | Galaxies with the appearance of wind effects |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Date and Time Observed | 2025-07-21 22:14:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" w/f7 reducer-1,422mm FL |
| Camera | Player One Apollo-M Mini |
| Image Details | Up is 0.3 degrees E of N. Transparency: Good. Seeing: Good. Total integration time was 12m 30s. Exposures 15s@300g, No Filter. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | I believe this is the first Arp object I've observed which is categorized with the "appearance of wind effects". It's an evocative description, and certainly appropriate. As Arp remarks in his recorded notes: "Streamers in both directions from edge of spiral," presumably describing the appearance of NGC 5221. The big mystery is what caused this level of tidal tails... certainly NGC 5222 doesn't seem up to it by itself. Possibly it's responsible for the relatively short lip that points downwards. But the long tail? That requires some serious motion and mass. This was the first observation of the evening, with Arp 288 relatively low in the west. The observation was cut short by low clouds. Remarkably, even without processing, the "wind effects" are visible after such minimal integration. |
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