Circinus Galaxy

Stevec35 (Steve) · #1 30-03-2011, 02:56 PM

Hi to everyone

Here's another obscure one - the Circinus galaxy. This is a relatively nearby but highly obscured galaxy only four degrees from the galactic plane. Not too many amateur colour shots of this one. The only other one I've been able to find is by Steven Jucknowski a few years back.

Cheers

Steve

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/STEVEC%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]http://members.pcug.org.au/~stevec/Circinus_STL6303_RC.htm

marco (Marco Lorenzi) · #2 30-03-2011, 04:36 PM

Wow, this is a crowded field

thanks fpr pointing this out, didn't know this galaxy before..

Clear Skies
Marco

astroron (Ron) · #3 30-03-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevec35

Hi to everyone

Here's another obscure one - the Circinus galaxy. This is a relatively nearby but highly obscured galaxy only four degrees from the galactic plane. Not too many amateur colour shots of this one. The only other one I've been able to find is by Steven Jucknowski a few years back.

Cheers

Steve

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/STEVEC%7E1/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]http://members.pcug.org.au/~stevec/Circinus_STL6303_RC.htm

Hi Steve I cannot access that link

Cheers

Stevec35 (Steve) · #4 30-03-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroron

Hi Steve I cannot access that link

Cheers

Very sorry Ron. It seems at least one person can see it so I don't know what's wrong. Here's the link again:

http://members.pcug.org.au/~stevec/C...STL6303_RC.htm

Cheers

Steve

astroron (Ron) · #5 30-03-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stevec35

Very sorry Ron. It seems at least one person can see it so I don't know what's wrong. Here's the link again:

http://members.pcug.org.au/~stevec/Circinus_STL6303_RC.htm

Cheers

Steve

Thanks Steve , I don't know how Marco could access the image and I couldn't

The Circinus galaxy was only reported in 1977 after being imaged on a plate taken by the Upsala Schmidt telescope at Mt Stromlo.
The same Scope that is now used by Rob McNaught at Siding Spring mountain to discover all his comets and NEO's and Asteroids.
I look for this galaxy with the 16" on regular occasions when good seeing presents itself.

It can look like a obscure Globular Cluster among a great star field.
You have captured the Dust lane very well

Cheers

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #6 30-03-2011, 08:12 PM

Steve, that is a lovely Galaxy and you have captured it beautifully.

The subtleness is what makes it look spectacular.

A Target like this would be very tempting to over-process to bring out those fine arms.

Well done

strongmanmike (Michael) · #7 30-03-2011, 11:13 PM

Yes a great capture Steve, what an amazing star field it sits in huh?

Yes, nicely processed as Ken says

Mike

Stevec35 (Steve) · #8 31-03-2011, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Yes a great capture Steve, what an amazing star field it sits in huh?

Yes, nicely processed as Ken says

Mike

Thanks Mike. Yes it's certainly not a place you expect to see a galxy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Steve, that is a lovely Galaxy and you have captured it beautifully.

The subtleness is what makes it look spectacular.

A Target like this would be very tempting to over-process to bring out those fine arms.

Well done

Thanks very much Ken

Quote:

Originally Posted by astroron

Thanks Steve , I don't know how Marco could access the image and I couldn't

The Circinus galaxy was only reported in 1977 after being imaged on a plate taken by the Upsala Schmidt telescope at Mt Stromlo.
The same Scope that is now used by Rob McNaught at Siding Spring mountain to discover all his comets and NEO's and Asteroids.
I look for this galaxy with the 16" on regular occasions when good seeing presents itself.

It can look like a obscure Globular Cluster among a great star field.
You have captured the Dust lane very well

Cheers

Thanks Ron. I don't think I've ever seen it myself. Hartung (2nd edition) says you need 20cm but I imagine that would be under very dark skies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by marco

Wow, this is a crowded field

thanks fpr pointing this out, didn't know this galaxy before..

Clear Skies
Marco

Thanks Marco

madbadgalaxyman (Robert) · #9 31-03-2011, 04:27 PM

I totally agree that this an excellent non-infrared image of the Circinus Galaxy. It is far better than DSS2.
The outer regions of Circinus Galaxy seem to fuzz out due to the high foreground extinction from our own Galaxy.

A attach the J+H+K bands (near-infrared) composite from the 2MASS infrared survey:

Click image for larger version

Name: Circinus_JHK_from2MASSatlas.jpg
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Size: 115.0 KB
ID: 91451

These were very short exposures, and the angular resolution was very limited. The outer parts of this galaxy are still barely visible in this NIR image.

Here is an image of the centre of the Circinus Galaxy, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and reproduced at low resolution. The top panel is H-alpha (nebular light only)(that is, line emission ONLY) and the bottom panel is I-band (broadband optical light) :

Click image for larger version

Name: Circinus_Halph_Iband_WFPC2.jpg
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ID: 91452

There is a very bright ring of H-alpha emitting regions in the central part of this galaxy. There is also a cone of H-alpha emission; which is gas that is being pushed out of the active centre of this galaxy.

There follows another image of the central part of this galaxy. This image is of uncertain origin. I believe it was probably taken with the NTT, at ESO.

Click image for larger version

Name: Circinus_(is this R band...)_(Poss. with ESO SuSI New Technology Tel. in Apr 1993).jpg
Views: 40
Size: 103.3 KB
ID: 91453

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman

Stevec35 (Steve) · #10 01-04-2011, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madbadgalaxyman

I totally agree that this an excellent non-infrared image of the Circinus Galaxy. It is far better than DSS2.
The outer regions of Circinus Galaxy seem to fuzz out due to the high foreground extinction from our own Galaxy.

A attach the J+H+K bands (near-infrared) composite from the 2MASS infrared survey:

Attachment 91451

These were very short exposures, and the angular resolution was very limited. The outer parts of this galaxy are still barely visible in this NIR image.

Here is an image of the centre of the Circinus Galaxy, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and reproduced at low resolution. The top panel is H-alpha (nebular light only)(that is, line emission ONLY) and the bottom panel is I-band (broadband optical light) :

Attachment 91452

There is a very bright ring of H-alpha emitting regions in the central part of this galaxy. There is also a cone of H-alpha emission; which is gas that is being pushed out of the active centre of this galaxy.

There follows another image of the central part of this galaxy. This image is of uncertain origin. I believe it was probably taken with the NTT, at ESO.

Attachment 91453

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman

Thanks. You are correct I think. That last image is an ESO one.

madbadgalaxyman (Robert) · #11 12-05-2011, 11:55 AM

The WISE satellite has imaged the Circinus galaxy in the near infrared. This massively reduces the very substantial extinction of the light from this obscured galaxy that is caused by the intervening dust from our own Milky Way galaxy.

Here is the image:

Click image for larger version

Name: Circinus_3.4um + 4.6um + 12um + 22um__equals Blue+Cyan+Green+Red___(with WISE)___extended arms N.jpg
Views: 25
Size: 142.2 KB
ID: 93836

The coding of this image is as follows.

Blue+Cyan+Green+Red

codes for:

3.4 microns ; 4.6 microns ; 12 microns, 22 microns

As a famous lady infrared astronomer said:
"I don't care if it's plastic, as long as it is in the near-infrared and I can see it!"
(referring to the ability of near-infrared imaging to reduce the dust extinction of light caused by the interstellar medium of our own Galaxy, by a factor of 10 or more.)

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman

gregbradley · #12 12-05-2011, 12:55 PM

Good catch Steve. It looks a bit like the black eyed galaxy but the UV image linked looks like an S shaped spiral.

Greg.

madbadgalaxyman (Robert) · #13 12-05-2011, 04:16 PM

Dear fellow Galaxy People,

If you are the sort who likes to get into the details of things, here is a link to a comprehensive multi-wavelength investigation of the Circinus Galaxy. This is very recent research.

Here you will find images at many different wavelengths of this nearby galaxy that is rendered so mysterious because of the heavy foreground Dust Screen.

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/WA...allaby2010.pdf

Best regards,
madbadgalaxyman

Poita (Peter) · #14 21-02-2012, 09:38 AM

Try the direct image link:
http://members.pcug.org.au/%7Estevec...03_RC_LRGB.jpg

richardo (Rich) · #15 21-02-2012, 11:37 AM

Hey Steve, certainly an interesting object.
Amazing it's light can actually cut through the light front from the masses of stars that lay in its way.
Amazing that you got any sort of detail from it without using your IR filter.

Thanks for showing us this intrepid galaxy!

All the best
Rich

Stevec35 (Steve) · #16 22-02-2012, 10:02 AM

Thanks Rich. Don't know why this one suddenly surfaced again.

multiweb (Marc) · #17 22-02-2012, 10:35 AM

Certainly a interesting object. I don't think I've seen it before. The star field is overwhelming. Nice details in the core and structure though.

strongmanmike (Michael) · #18 22-02-2012, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Certainly a interesting object. I don't think I've seen it before.

Yeh??

Scroll down to Deep Sky here

Sheesh, get with it Man!

multiweb (Marc) · #19 22-02-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Yeh??

Scroll down to Deep Sky here

Sheesh, get with it Man!

Ahhh...I don't keep up with the Malins much, especially galaxies. They're too small

strongmanmike (Michael) · #20 22-02-2012, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by multiweb

Ahhh...I don't keep up with the Malins much, especially galaxies. They're too small

Bah, M8 lover....