Arp 271 - Twin Galaxies in a Gravitational Embrace

[strongmanmike]

Only a short distance from the much more regularly imaged Sombrero Galaxy you will find these two wonderful spiral galaxies in the early stages of interaction. Spiral galaxies NGC 5426 and NGC 5427
are known collectively as Arp 271. This interacting pair of similarly sized spiral galaxies spans about 130,000 light years and lies about 90 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo.

Both galaxies are quite small at around 2.5' each in size and unlike for my last imaging sessions, the seeing was only fair to middling this time around, both nights..but meah.. hey, made the most of it
only had to discard two frames across the two nights though :)

Arp 271 (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/163345494/original) (100% resolution crop)

Comparison with the 8m Gemini telescope (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/163367483/original)

All details are under the image

You can read more about these beautiful interacting galaxies HERE (http://www.gemini.edu/twinspiral)

Mike
For some reason they remind me of Dame Edna's Glasses :)

[RB]

Fantastic detail and colours Mike.
So sharp too.

That first image isn't too bad either.
:lol:

RB

[strongmanmike]

Aaaah, Komikós...? :lol: :thumbsup:

Mike

[astroron]

Nicely done Mike. :)
Will give them a try next observing session
Probably observed them before, but cant find an obs
report for them.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Ron, I observed them through my 12" dob while I was out and I could clearly see the fat "T" or Lollipop shape.

Mike

[Mighty_oz]

Great image :) Only thing wrong i see is that somewhere in the processing the image has been reversed somehow, when compared to the original.:rofl:

[Slawomir]

As always, a splendid image Mike :thumbsup:


Perhaps there is a tad too much green in it though :question: but that is really the only thing that I could pick on :lol:

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
that's a nice new target to have on your list.
Well done.

cheers
Allan

[Atmos]

Very nice Mike! The ESO version has the resolution but yours had the much preferred saturation :) Nicely resolved too!

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for the comments guys :thumbsup:

Strangely (IMO) this pair is rarely imaged by amateurs :screwy: In fact I think this may even be the first time an image of these galaxies has been posted on IIS..? Certainly can't recall seeing them posted before...sooooo :whistle:...whether it is a tad green or not is proooobably not the most noteworthy aspect of this image :question: (sorry Suavi :love:) maaaaybe it is when looking at the 1000th version of the Lagoon or Eta Carina ;)...but all good, I do appreciate the feedback none the less :thumbsup:...

The Deep Space imaging section does still tend to become simply a collection of opinions on colour (which can be important) but regularly completely over looks the vastly more engaging interest contained within the image :rolleyes: I mean not that many galaxies look like a cross dresser...aaah sigh....:lol:

Mike

[multiweb]

Very cool shot. Imagine being on a planet orbiting a star in that bridge between the two. Milkyway night every night. Happy hour. :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Ha ha ha...yeah now that's better! :lol:...I agree Marc, thought exactly the same thing when I was processing, it would be a fantastic sight for sure :thumbsup:

Mike

[Retrograde]

Great detail and colour and yes, what an amazing object!

[Andy01]

Cool target, amazing to think of the cosmic collisions and tidal gravitational forces at work there - Makes one want to show it to all the military personnel in the world.

Then they can see that it doesn't matter who thinks they own or want to fight over which tiny piece of dirt underfoot when this is the only planet we know currently sustaining life as we know it.

Sorry, went off tangent there :P, great work Mike :)

[SimmoW]

Wow, that's a beauty Mike and yes rarely captured by amateurs. I read something recently that said the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star system to your right. Deep stuff.

[gvanhau]

Very nice target and well imaged.
I put it in my target list, but weather has been so bad here that I don't know if it will be this year...
Geert

[Placidus]

Exquisite! We really like the saturation and colour, which matches the astrophysics of the galaxies.

"And when worlds collide, said George Powell to his bride, I'm going to give you some terrible thrills..."

Had fun comparing with the ESO 3.6 metre shot. Each of those tiny white dots in your image corresponds to a real feature in theirs.

Wonder if someone out there, looking back at us, can see our Magellanic stream?

Best,
M & T

[strongmanmike]

Thanks for the comments guys, glad it was interesting and enjoyed :thumbsup:...I'm surprised I hadn't imaged it before really :shrug:... I mean, it's not as if there are that many great and amazing objects to target up there..huh? :question:....:)

Mike

[RickS]

Lovely colours, Mike, and a great choice of target. Shame the seeing wasn't better but we takes what we can get, eh?

The only other rendition I can recall seeing on IIS was one by Geoff Smith.

It's amazing the array of shapes that result from galactic interactions. If we lived a bit longer it would be fun to do a time lapse :lol:

Cheers,
Rick.

[strongmanmike]

Ah yes you are quite right, I remember Geoffs image now :thumbsup:

Yes, :doh:wish I had enjoyed the same seeing as I had for my psychedelic 3576 two weeks ago but oh well, still, I think my resolution is about as good as any other good amateur shot out there (not taken with a big RC/CDK type on a 7000+ ft mountain in arc sec or better seeing that is) and probably even a little better than most..? :question:

Mike

[RickS]

Yes, I'd agree with that. Just a shame that they're so small :shrug:

[strongmanmike]

Agreed, I probably do push the practical limits of my 12" F3.8 but well, ti's all I have and coupled with the H694 and the resulting 0.84"/pix I can generally still go for most small things reasonably successfully :thumbsup:

Mike

[gregbradley]

Good one Mike. Stretching the Newt to the limit there. Good on you.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Greggles...well as they say, nothing ventured nothing gained :)...sure beats yet aaaanother shot of the Running Chicken :rolleyes: :lol:

Mike

[strongmanmike]

As requested by Sakib Rasool...here's a comparison (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/163367483/original) with an image by the Gemini scope :)

Wonder if my lovely wife would agree to construction of an 8m class scope.....hmmm? :lol:

Mike

[RobF]

Wonderful shot Mike. Fascinating galaxy interactions.

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
Nice comparison.
You don't need an 8m scope -
you just need Peter's - Alluna RC16 - & a night of lucky seeing.

cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike]

:lol:...aaah sigh, funny stuff...all good thanks, we do what we can :)

Mike

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Rob, it is a beaut pair huh? :thumbsup:

Mike

[andyc]

Nice comparison with Gemini! I'm still very impressed by what you guys manage to get on these small targets - this is another great view.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Andy, it is good to do the less imaged objects, there are just soooo many :eyepop:

Mike

[marc4darkskies]

A very pretty, off-the-beaten-track image Mike. Shame about the bad seeing though. I haven't had any good seeing for months :sadeyes:. And of course it's cloudy & rainy near the new moon!

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Marcus :thumbsup:

The seeing wasn't exactly bad, just not ideal for a small pair of galaxies like this I guess....got spoiled by my last imaging conditions, should have targeted this pair then :doh:Still, quite happy with the details that showed up regardless. This is posted at 100% res too, so hey, if it looks a little soft to you....just shrink it in your browser :P

Yes 100% cloud and rain this weekend yaaaay...

Mike

[Ross G]

A great looking photo of a beautiful galaxy Mike.

I don't think I have seen this one before.

Good to see there are still photographers on this forum pushing the boundaries and imaging lesser known, more difficult objects.

Amazing capture!

Ross.

[strongmanmike]

:love: :cheers:

[codemonkey]

Nice shot Mike! I love little interacting galaxies like these guys, my favourite subjects. If I'd know these guys were there near the sombrero I'd have been having a crack at them myself. Thanks for sharing.

[strongmanmike]

Yeah well, go for it mate! :thumbsup: they are a challenging target :)

Mike

[cybereye]

Mike,

An incredible image and I love the comparison with the 8m Gemini scope... and that lovely lady from Moonee Ponds! I always admire your images and the colours that you manage to get - fantastic!

Do you still have Pavarotti singing while you image?

Cheers,
Mario

[strongmanmike]

Ah haaa! Thanks Muzza :thumbsup:

I tend to do most of the singing out at the observatory myself :lol: Being over 100m from the house and many 100's of meters from the other neighbours, it is a great place to practice opera...with only dogs way in the distance to make howl :D. For the record, the quality of my sound generally improves linearly with each glass of beer...up to about 5 or 6 glasses..after that it probably starts to deteriorate rapidly :lol:...but by then I have to think carefully when I climb the stairs and hunch in and out of the dome door....:drink:

Vincero! :thumbsup:

Mike

[astronobob]

Dame Edna is not very particular about colors - he/she just good for the laughs :rofl:
What a classic target to Image & show, Michael. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Not sure why it hasn't been done much either now you mention - wouldn't mind having a go at this one day !
Nice work, capture and result again and thanx for bringing this pair to our attention :thumbsup: :thumbsup: the galaxies and Dame ;)

[strongmanmike]

Hey, no wukkers Bob, glad you enjoyed it :thumbsup:..going back to an obscure Planetary next session me thinks :question:...

Mike

[TR]

Very nice Mike. :thumbsup: These galactic traffic accidents are very impressive to look at. But they happen so slooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooow. The final result would be so interesting to see.

Terry

[strongmanmike]

A Time Lapse!...now that would be good...you got the time? :P

Thanks Mate :thumbsup:

Mike

[Ryderscope]

Dame Edna's glasses indeed !
I can almost feel the tidal tug between the lenses.
Definitely a cool and colourful image and informative description :cool2:

[strongmanmike]

Yeah, I can't help seeing things in deep sky objects, I think it is a disease?....luckily I don't see dead people :scared2:

:thumbsup:

[Shiraz]

another beautiful image Mike - amazing detail for what is and how far away.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Ray...hanging out to get out again...total rain and cloud over the new moon - greeeat :rolleyes:

Mike

[astroron]

Beautiful, large and bright in the 16" last night ,Mike.
Detail of spiral shape quite noticeable.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Nice! :thumbsup:

I love having the visual scope setup outside (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/157983427/original) while the imaging scope is doing its thing inside the dome... and when it is a dark moonless night, the beer is cold and the coffee hot, well, it just magic :thumbsup:

Mike

[Atmos]

I can see the evil glint in his eyes :P Raining down here in Melbourne.. Nothing new there :lol:

[strongmanmike]

Looks like it's gunna be perfect here Sat and Sun night...aaand, of course, we have interstate visitors staying with us, don't we?? :doh:

:rolleyes: sigh............

Mike

[rustigsmed]

I missed this one Mike; great capture and processing :thumbsup: looks like a fairly challenging little target.

maybe you could convince your guests to atleast do one all nighter out at the obsy with you.

[strongmanmike]

Cheers and yes did consider that but then I would be babysitting them instead of imaging, answering 100 questions blah blah blah, then they would get cold and start complaining especial the females :rolleyes:.. so they'd have to drive out in a separate car so they could leave early, then they wouldn't be able to find their way back home in the dark again, then....:question: meah.. too difficult, probably just drink beer at home with them....Universe isn't going anywhere anytime soon

:P

[Atmos]

This can be the benefit of having your telescope in your backyard. Plus, if the weather ever turns bad you can just lock up and WALK back inside (yes, you can get inebriated) and not have to drive. Win win :D

[strongmanmike]

Yep, too true Col :thumbsup: miss not having the scope out the back door...but love having dark skies just 30min drive away too and pubs and cafes downstairs...I kinda shouldnt complain really...:)

Mike

[Atmos]

Well I lost 40 minutes worth of subs due to the auto guider dropping out :( I work in 1 hour lots, after I press go I cannot go near it, even tip toeing around the scope causes the guide graph to go nuts!

[atalas]

:rofl:you guys crack me up sometimes!

Terrific work big guy:thumbsup:

[E_ri_k]

Nice Mike :thumbs: I like the colours in the arms. Looks like you captured heaps of little background galaxies too.
Erik

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Louie, gotta keep this endeavour fun mate :thumbsup:



Cheers Erik, galaxies rule :D

Mike

[Fabiomax]

Mike the comparison is really amazing. Obviously there is a difference (not so large compared to the difference of diameters!) In terms of resolution. But what affects me is the depth limit reached for objects (such as small -galaxy presents) and for the widespread parts.
fantastic shot!
Fabiomax

[strongmanmike]

Hey cheers Fabiomax :thumbsup: I sometimes do these sort of comparisons, not to suggest that I am anywhere near the bigger scope in resolution (because sadly I ain't) but rather to help identify features (which are much clearer in the big scope data) that I may have also managed to capture in mine :)

Mike