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NGC 6769-71

Galaxies
NGC 3521 astrophotography chile
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Object:
NGC 6769-71, galaxy trio in Pavo
Notes:

(*)This is the superb triple system NGC 6769-71, located in the southern Pavo constellation (the Peacock) at a distance of 190 million light-years.

NGC 6769 is a spiral galaxy with very tightly wound spiral arms, while NGC 6770 has two major spiral arms, one of which is rather straight and points towards the outer disc of NGC 6769. NGC 6770 is also peculiar in that it presents two comparatively straight dark lanes and a fainter arc that curves towards the third galaxy, NGC 6771 (left). It is also obvious that stars and gas have been stripped off NGC 6769 and NGC 6770, starting to form a common envelope around them, in the shape of a Devil's Mask. There is also a weak hint of a tenuous bridge between NGC 6769 and NGC 6771. All of these features testify to strong gravitational interaction between the three galaxies. The warped appearance of the dust lane in NGC 6771 might also be interpreted as more evidence of interactions. Moreover, NGC 6769 and NGC 6770 are receding from us at a similar velocity of about 3800 km/s - a redshift just over 0.01 - while that of NGC 6771 is slightly larger, 4200 km/s.

Annotated version here

Date:
August 2014
Location:
SSRO, CTIO, Chile
Telescope:
RCOS 16" RC telescope @f/11
Mount:
Planewave, Ascension 200HR
Camera:
Apogee U9 @-20 ºC
Exposure Time:
15 min subs through L:R:G:B filters
 
 
       
 
Astrofotografia Austral | Copyright Jose Joaquin Perez 2010