NGC 3313 in Hydra

[strongmanmike]

This is a rarely image galaxy in Hydra. It's surprisingly 180 million light years away, so its apparent dimensions are rather modest, listed at 4.2' X 3.5' in size. In this image however its faintest extensions cover an area closer to 7' X 6'.

There appears to be little to no HII regions visible, probably because of the great distance but also the low level of colour data I collected may have played a part here too?..I really needed to collect some more red data and then perhaps some little flecks of red HII would have revealed themselves, but I was keen to make it a single night image :)

All data was collected in a single night, 7hrs in total but 3 sub frames were rejected due to poor seeing and an easterly wind blowing directly into the dome opening and buffeting the OTA (it is actually a rare thing for me to have to chuck sub frames :doh:).

I like the complex structure of the skinny arms...reminds me of a Huntsman spider for some reason...:question:

There is some capture info under the image, hope you enjoy something most haven't seen before...lots of cool distant stuff floating around in the background too :)

NGC 3313 in Hydra (https://www.flickr.com/photos/strongman/51049199202/in/dateposted/) (Click on image to enlarge)

The full frame full res version is here (https://pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/171490271/original)

Mike

[gregbradley]

A fabulous galaxy image. I imagine the Milky Way looks a lot like this one.
Great colours and the stars look terrific as well.

Greg.

[markas]

Mike,


Great detail - it is, after all a pretty small target!
The bunch of other galaxies are an added bonus. (Also very well resolved)
A really fine image.


Mark

[Robert_T]

puts me in mind of a fireworks wheel. Great detail, and even more amazing considering the small apparent object size, and nicely processed.

[PKay]

A truly superb capture Mike.

Very well processed and setting the 'bar' high as usual.

Way to go mate :thumbsup:

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
that's a great image of a very dim 12.3 mag. target.
I can't find any better images.
there's only this one:
https://cgs.obs.carnegiescience.edu/CGS/object_html_pages/NGC3313.html


cheers
Allan

[Placidus]

Your image is a goldmine of information compared with any of the very few others out there. :eyepop:


Hats off, Mike!

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Greg :thumbsup: While we have a short bar, apparently, I don't think the Milky Way has that complete inner ring structure :question:






Thanks a lot Mark and Robert :thumbsup: The seeing was pretty varied and for periods during capture (I baby sit my rig) I was a little worried (as I often am :scared:) because some of the subs coming down were obviously seeing affected :mad2: buuuut it improved as the galaxy climbed towards the meridian (not a surprise) and some of the Lum subs were excellent, so I was preeeetty confident I had captured enough of these to put together something ok, phew :)



Thanks a lot Peter, glad you think so :thumbsup:



Thanks Alan, no, not very many shots of it out there...everyone is too busy hitting bigger and brighter buggers :P



Thanks guys, the spindly almost lace like spiral arms, were what attracted me to hitting it and its distance :)

Mike

[AdamJL]

Such a smaaaallll target, and you've made it look like an easy acquisition. Fantastic image :)

[AUST2000]

Very nice and such a small target at that focal length.


Thanks for sharing.


Andrew

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Adam and Andrew, t'was a solid, single nights work, sometimes yer just gotta get yer fix :drink: :D

Mike

[Andy01]

Holy Lightspeed Batman - 180 million LY distant? :eyepop:
Now that's something you don't see every day!
Well done Mike :thumbsup:

[alpal]

Hi Mike,
Of course they are however the images that will be
remembered most are the ones of galaxies that no one else has imaged
and they may be the ones that end up in the data websites such as
Index to the New General Catalog, Index Catalog,
and Principal Galaxies Catalog Pages


Here:

http://cseligman.com/text/atlas/ngc00.htm#ngcic


cheers
Allan

[strongmanmike]

Cheers Andy, yeah Pangea was just breaking up when the light collected here left that galaxy...rather sobering...:)



It's good to find galaxies (or any targets really) that haven't been targeted often, just because it is interesting and fun to reveal stuff that many of us haven't seen before, they don't have to be 25hr+ efforts all the time either, just enjoying the object for what it is and the cool differences, is often enough for me :)

Mike

[Bart]

Nice image, Mike. Love the shape of the arms and the scattering of friends through the field.

[strongmanmike]

I agree, it was the arms that sold me on hitting her :)

Mike

[cometcatcher]

Holy... Superb. You are the galaxy king.

[strongmanmike]

To the galaxy cave, Boy Wonder :face:

Mike

[marc4darkskies]

A cute little thing. Nice one Mike! :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Yeah, t'is I guess?..I hadn't seen an image of it before soooo... it got the Sidonio una notte treatment ie a few beers, coffee, Macca's on the way home...with a side of galaxy :P :lol:

Mike

[Paul Haese]

Nice one Mike. Another one to add to my ever growing list. I like the way the distant galaxies are big enough to be seen with some detail.