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Old 11-05-2013, 05:54 PM
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madbadgalaxyman (Robert)
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Brisbane
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NGC 2442 in the near-infrared

Further to previous post, I thought that perhaps a good near-infrared image of this galaxy might make the overall structure clearer.

I just Found this one on the internet, taken with Gemini South telescope and the FLAMINGOS-2 instrument in December 2011 in good seeing.
It is a composite of J and H and K exposures (1.2 microns ; 1.6 microns ; 2.2 microns)

The central small mini-disk is extremely obvious in the low-extinction near infrared regime.

But why don't the two principal spiral arms link to anything as they curve inwards??!? One possibility is that they might plausibly link to a weak ring structure surrounding the central small disk.
(It is quite common for spiral arms in galaxies to start from a ring structure, rather than from the very centre of a galaxy)

Another very odd thing about this image is that if you turn up the brightness and contrast, there is a very strongly rectangular structure in the central parts of this galaxy.

Its all quite puzzling really, as nothing is quite "as it should be" in this galaxy.

Click image for larger version

Name:	N2442_J+H+Ks__(with Gemini-South  & FLAMINGOS-2 instrument)__Dec 2011 with 0.6 secs seeing in Ks.jpg
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