NGC 660

Designation(s)NGC 660
Object Type(s)Galaxy
Relevant Catalog(s)All (Chron), NGC
Obs. Lat/Long42° 17', 073° 57'
ConstellationPisces
Date and Time Observed2024-10-24 22:36:00
InstrumentEdgeHD 8" w/f7 reducer-1,422mm FL
CameraPlayer One Apollo Mini
Image DetailsTotal integration time was 52m 30s. Exposures15s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding.
DescriptionThis is an extraordinary galaxy, large and reasonably bright. I'm amazed it isn't a better known target. It appears to be a young-ish spiral galaxy that has merged with a much older lenticular galaxy. The two are at different angles, and there is a ring of star-forming regions and dust that appears to completely encircle two galaxies at a roughly 45° angle to the original orientation of the spiral. The Apollo M camera actually does a pretty good job of capturing some of the details, though color might help disambiguate some of the features.
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