| GALAXY GROUPS (CLICK ON THUMBNAIL TO VIEW FULL SIZED IMAGE) |
The NGC-3190 Galaxy Group (Hickson 44): A group of four various types
of galaxies located in the "Sickle" of Leo between Gamma and Zeta Leonis.
The brightest is NGC-3190, an inclined spiral with a dust lane, located near
the center of the photo. Next brightest is the elliptical galaxy NGC-3193, just
to the left of a bright star at upper right center. The other two members are
spiral galaxies; NGC-3185 at lower left, and NGC-3187 just to the lower right
of NGC-3190. This group lies at a distance of 73 million light years from
earth. Visually, the group is fairly bright, except for NGC-3187. All fit easily
into the field of a wide-angle eyepiece.
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty-five 60-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 ED APO Refractor. These images were captured on
the morning of 2/21/07, using Maxim DL Essentials. Further post-processing
was done using Photoshop CS.
of galaxies located in the "Sickle" of Leo between Gamma and Zeta Leonis.
The brightest is NGC-3190, an inclined spiral with a dust lane, located near
the center of the photo. Next brightest is the elliptical galaxy NGC-3193, just
to the left of a bright star at upper right center. The other two members are
spiral galaxies; NGC-3185 at lower left, and NGC-3187 just to the lower right
of NGC-3190. This group lies at a distance of 73 million light years from
earth. Visually, the group is fairly bright, except for NGC-3187. All fit easily
into the field of a wide-angle eyepiece.
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty-five 60-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 ED APO Refractor. These images were captured on
the morning of 2/21/07, using Maxim DL Essentials. Further post-processing
was done using Photoshop CS.
M-105 Galaxy Group: This group of galaxies lie about 1/3 of the way from
Regulus (A Leonis) and Denebola (B Leonis) and just NW of the M-95/M-96
group. M-105 (lower center) is the brightest galaxy in the group. It is an elliptical
galaxy. NGC-3384, just above it, is an elongated E7 elliptical galaxy. NGC-3389
is the faintest member of the trio, and is a type Sc Spiral Galaxy. All three fit
nicely into the field of a medium power eyepiece. This group of galaxies lie at
a distance of 29 million light years from earth.
NOTE: This image is a composite of twenty-five 50-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 ED APO Refractor. These images were captured on
the morning of 2/21/07, using Maxim DL Essentials. Further post-processing
was done using Photoshop CS.
Regulus (A Leonis) and Denebola (B Leonis) and just NW of the M-95/M-96
group. M-105 (lower center) is the brightest galaxy in the group. It is an elliptical
galaxy. NGC-3384, just above it, is an elongated E7 elliptical galaxy. NGC-3389
is the faintest member of the trio, and is a type Sc Spiral Galaxy. All three fit
nicely into the field of a medium power eyepiece. This group of galaxies lie at
a distance of 29 million light years from earth.
NOTE: This image is a composite of twenty-five 50-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 ED APO Refractor. These images were captured on
the morning of 2/21/07, using Maxim DL Essentials. Further post-processing
was done using Photoshop CS.
 |
NGC-4038/4039: A very interesting interacting pair of galaxies in the constellation
of Corvus the Crow. In this picture, NGC-4038 is the brighter galaxy to the right
(north). On long-exposure photos and Hubble Space Telescope images, much
detail is seen, including two long filaments extending to the NE and SE of the main
bodies of the two galaxies. This image has started to capture one of the filaments,
which appears as a faint wedge of nebulosity extending to the upper left of the
left-hand galaxy, NGC-4039. Also visible are many reddish areas, which are large
regions of hydrogen gas where star formation has been triggered by the tidal effect
of the collision of the two galaxies. This pair of galaxies lies over 90 million light
years from earth. Visually, this contact pair resembles a faint ghostly "Pac-Man".
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty-five 100-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 APO Refractor. Images were captured using Maxim DL
Essentials and post-processed using Photoshop CS.
of Corvus the Crow. In this picture, NGC-4038 is the brighter galaxy to the right
(north). On long-exposure photos and Hubble Space Telescope images, much
detail is seen, including two long filaments extending to the NE and SE of the main
bodies of the two galaxies. This image has started to capture one of the filaments,
which appears as a faint wedge of nebulosity extending to the upper left of the
left-hand galaxy, NGC-4039. Also visible are many reddish areas, which are large
regions of hydrogen gas where star formation has been triggered by the tidal effect
of the collision of the two galaxies. This pair of galaxies lies over 90 million light
years from earth. Visually, this contact pair resembles a faint ghostly "Pac-Man".
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty-five 100-second exposures taken
through the 80mm f/7.5 APO Refractor. Images were captured using Maxim DL
Essentials and post-processed using Photoshop CS.
The Virgo Galaxy Cluster: This image is centered on the giant elliptical galaxy M-86, and
shows the center of the huge cluster of galaxys located in western Virgo, approximately
halfway between the star Denebola (B Leonis) and Epsilon Virginis. The other bright galaxy
to the right (west) of M-86 is another large elliptical galaxy, M-84. Forming a triangle with
these two bright ellipticals is the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC-4388 (bottom right of picture).
In the center of this triangle is the small spiral galaxy NGC-4387. Another edge-on spiral
galaxy, NGC-4402, lies just north of M-86, at the top center of the picture. At the upper left
hand corner of the picture lie two galaxies: the smaller one to the north is NGC-4458. The
larger, distorted galaxy just to the south is NGC-4438. This pair of galaxies is commonly
known as "The Eyes", because that is how they appear when viewed visually through the
average telescope. Just to the lower left (east) of NGC-4388 is the smaller spiral galaxy
NGC-4413. Between this galaxy and the two "Eyes" at the upper left of the picture is the
small spiral galaxy NGC-4425. Between the "Eyes" and NGC-4402 lies another small faint
galaxy, IC-3355 (just left of upper center). Another faint galaxy, IC-3303, lies just south of
M-84, about halfway between M-84 and NGC-4388. Another faint galaxy lies just west (right)
of NGC-4402, and another lies just northwest (up and to the right). In all, the images of
THIRTEEN galaxies appear in this field, which is just over 1 degree in size!
NOTE: This image was captured on the evening of May 17th, and is a composite of ten 180
second exposures through the 80mm Refractor, using a .5 focal reducer, to shoot at f/3.75.
The images were captured, stacked and processed using Nebulosity, with further post
processing using Photoshop CS and Noiseware.
shows the center of the huge cluster of galaxys located in western Virgo, approximately
halfway between the star Denebola (B Leonis) and Epsilon Virginis. The other bright galaxy
to the right (west) of M-86 is another large elliptical galaxy, M-84. Forming a triangle with
these two bright ellipticals is the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC-4388 (bottom right of picture).
In the center of this triangle is the small spiral galaxy NGC-4387. Another edge-on spiral
galaxy, NGC-4402, lies just north of M-86, at the top center of the picture. At the upper left
hand corner of the picture lie two galaxies: the smaller one to the north is NGC-4458. The
larger, distorted galaxy just to the south is NGC-4438. This pair of galaxies is commonly
known as "The Eyes", because that is how they appear when viewed visually through the
average telescope. Just to the lower left (east) of NGC-4388 is the smaller spiral galaxy
NGC-4413. Between this galaxy and the two "Eyes" at the upper left of the picture is the
small spiral galaxy NGC-4425. Between the "Eyes" and NGC-4402 lies another small faint
galaxy, IC-3355 (just left of upper center). Another faint galaxy, IC-3303, lies just south of
M-84, about halfway between M-84 and NGC-4388. Another faint galaxy lies just west (right)
of NGC-4402, and another lies just northwest (up and to the right). In all, the images of
THIRTEEN galaxies appear in this field, which is just over 1 degree in size!
NOTE: This image was captured on the evening of May 17th, and is a composite of ten 180
second exposures through the 80mm Refractor, using a .5 focal reducer, to shoot at f/3.75.
The images were captured, stacked and processed using Nebulosity, with further post
processing using Photoshop CS and Noiseware.
M-61 Galaxy Group: This image is centered on the face-on spiral galaxy M-61 (NGC-4303).
M-61 lies at the southern edge of the great Virgo Galaxy Cluster, about 2 degrees north and
just slightly east of the 5th magnitude star 16 Virginis. This image clearly shows M-61's two
companion galaxies, NGC-4303A (left center of photo) and NGC-4292 (upper right corner).
M-61 is a beautiful 3-armed spiral galaxy of 10th magnitude, one of the larger galaxies in the
Virgo cluster. The photo shows its bright compact nucleus and the unusual crooked spiral
arms which contain many knots and condensations of stars. M-61 lies at a distance of about
30 million light years. At this distance, its 6 arcminute diameter corresponds to an actual
diameter of over 60,000 light years.
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty 70-second exposures through the 80mm f/7.5
ED Apochromatic refractor. The images were captured and processed using Nebulosity, with
further post-processing in PhotoshopCS and NoiseWare.
M-61 lies at the southern edge of the great Virgo Galaxy Cluster, about 2 degrees north and
just slightly east of the 5th magnitude star 16 Virginis. This image clearly shows M-61's two
companion galaxies, NGC-4303A (left center of photo) and NGC-4292 (upper right corner).
M-61 is a beautiful 3-armed spiral galaxy of 10th magnitude, one of the larger galaxies in the
Virgo cluster. The photo shows its bright compact nucleus and the unusual crooked spiral
arms which contain many knots and condensations of stars. M-61 lies at a distance of about
30 million light years. At this distance, its 6 arcminute diameter corresponds to an actual
diameter of over 60,000 light years.
NOTE: This image is an integration of twenty 70-second exposures through the 80mm f/7.5
ED Apochromatic refractor. The images were captured and processed using Nebulosity, with
further post-processing in PhotoshopCS and NoiseWare.