| Designation(s) | Arp 91, NGC 5953, NGC 5954 |
| Object Type(s) | Galaxy |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Arp, NGC |
| Arp Category | Spiral galaxies with large high surface brightness companions on arms |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Serpens |
| Date and Time Observed | 2024-05-23 22:27:00 |
| Instrument | EdgeHD 8" f10-2,032mm FL |
| Camera | ASI294MC-Pro |
| Image Details | Up is 1.0 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 33m 30s. Exposures 30s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding. |
| Description | Fun to be back observing Arps. These two galaxies are pretty small, but bright enough to capture even during a nearly full moon (luckily pointing to a very different part of the sky). It appears to be two galaxies merging (or at least strongly interacting during a "fly by"). NGC 5954 (left) is an elongated spiral, though it's unclear to me whether it was caused by this interaction or an earlier one. I suspect the latter since the distortion isn't obviously in the direction of its partner. On the other hand, you would need to model it: it's possible it approached from below and is in the process of avoiding merger by passing to the right. NGC 5953 (right) is a nearly featureless elliptical galaxy. It's unclear whether the third, bright object (lower right) is a star or a bright, dwarf galaxy. There's a hint of luminosity that suggests dwarf, but we're at the limits of my telescope and the night's seeing, so I'm not sure. |
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