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NGC 3621 Galaxies
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Object:
NGC 3621, galaxy in Hydra
Notes:

This image, obtained from my remote observatory in northern Chile, shows a truly remarkable galaxy known as NGC 3621. To begin with, it is a pure-disc galaxy. Like other spirals, it has a flat disc permeated by dark lanes of material and with prominent spiral arms where young stars are forming in clusters (the blue dots seen in the image). But while most spiral galaxies have a central bulge — a large group of old stars packed in a compact, spheroidal region — NGC 3621 doesn’t. In this image, it is clear that there is simply a brightening to the centre, but no actual bulge like the one in NGC 6744 , for example.

NGC 3621 is also interesting as it is believed to have an active supermassive black hole at its centre that is engulfing matter and producing radiation. This is somewhat unusual because most of these so-called active galactic nuclei exist in galaxies with prominent bulges. In this particular case, the supermassive black hole is thought to have a relatively small mass, of around 20 000 times that of the Sun.

Another interesting feature is that there are also thought to be two smaller black holes, with masses of a few thousand times that of the Sun, near the nucleus of the galaxy. Therefore, NGC 3621 is an extremely interesting object which, despite not having a central bulge, has a system of three black holes in its central region. (Cited from ESO)

This galaxy is located in the constellation of Hydra (The Sea Snake) and can be seen with a moderate-sized telescope. This image also reveals a multitude of background galaxies.

Full res version here

 

Date:
March 2019
Location:
El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile
Telescope:
Corrected Newtonian Astrograph, 12", f/3.8
Mount:
.Astro-Physics AP1100GTO
Camera:
Moravian G3 16200 camera with Astrodon filters @-25 ºC
Exposure Time:
.L:R:G:B = 360:175:175:175mins
 
 
       
 
Astrofotografia Austral | Copyright Jose Joaquin Perez 2010