Category: Astrophotography

NGC 7626 (179 LY) and NGC 7619 (152 LY)

Pegasus Galaxy Cluster 1, rates as one of the most distant objects (faintest) observable with normal amateur Telescopes. This image’s field of view is 52’ 16” x 35’ 5”, It was capture with TEC 5.5” f/7 refractor and SBIG ST10XME at 1.436 arcseconds per pixel. In perspective the full moon is approximately 33’ 57”, about a half of a degree. This Galactic Cluster has an estimated diameter of 6.3 degrees. Currently composed of 13 galaxies (down from original 23) with firm evidence that it hosts an ongoing merger. The map of this image lists some of the galaxies in this image, I have counted 284. Do to its 12.7 magnitude, one needs 10” telescope to observe it visually.

Recent Data from the Gemini + GMOS imaging Globular Clusters fo both NGC 7619 and NGC 7626 support this  (  LINK: https://www.gemini.edu/instrumentation/gmos/)

Pegasus Galaxy Cluster 1, is 175.3 (175,341,668.65 ) million lights years away consisting of 8-12 key members.  Also known as Pegasus 1 group 50Mpc

NGC 7626 and NGC 7619 (E₃) Elliptical Galaxies  with a brightness of magnitude 11.2 (2.6×2.3) and 12.2 (2.6 x2.2) respectfully.  NGC 7626 is 151,956,256.37 Light years (Ly) away, while NGC 7619 is 179,222,929.54 Ly. 

Map of some galaxies in the Pegasus Cluster

M104/NGC 4594 Sombrero Galaxy; 2/17/2018 9:53 UT or 1:53 AM PST Latitude: 33° 29′ 01.48″ North Longitude: 116° 43′ 19.24″ West Elevation: 4321 ft. Jupiter Ridge #4 Observatory; OCA site, near Anza, CA. Seeing: E Transparency: 6 SQM: 20.85 Telescopes / Optics: TEC 140mm f/7 Mount: AP1200 Camera: SBIG ST10xme CCD & CFW10. FOV: 48’ x 32’ FWHM: 2.42 Filter: Astrodon LRGB series E Gen. 2 Information: M104 NGC 4594 Captured with CCDSoft; RGB= 3 x 5 minute; L= 13x x 5 minute -20°c. Total LRGB= 110 minutes (2 hours) Processed with CCDStack, Photoshop CS6 & Pixel Insight.

M104/NGC 4594 Galaxy,  is a peculiar galaxy of unclear classification. M104’s diameter is 50,000 Ly about 1/3 the size of our own Milky Way.  This Galaxy is 31.1 Mly from earth, shinning at magnitude 8. It reside in the constellation of Virgo, near Corvus. M104 has many globular clusters, estimated to be nearly 2,000 in number — 10 times more than the number of globular clusters in our Milky Way galaxy.        

M 1o4’s core is very illuminated, where a one-billion-solar-mass black hole resides. This galaxy has an estimated mass of 800 billion stars similar to our own sun. M104 is one of the most massive objects in the Virgo galaxy cluster.

M104/NGC 4594 Galaxy was discovered on May 11, 1781 by Pierre Méchain,

Charles Messier made a hand-written note about this and five other objects (now collectively recognized as M104 – M109) to his personal list of objects now known as the Messier Catalogue. It was not included until 1921  about the 10 years after Mt. Wilson’s 100” telescope was up and running (1917)

M104/NGC 4594 Sombrero Galaxy 50% Crop

M109 /NGC 3992 Barred Spiral Galaxy approximately 83 million light years from Earth located in the Constellation URSA Major (Big Dipper). (location is 11:57.6 (R.A.) and +53:23 (Dec.). This barred spiral galaxy is readily visible through telescopes of 6″ aperture or better. Really looks good in 10″ telescopes at a Dark Sky site. When looking at the M109 /NGC 3992 Barred Spiral Galaxy, remember it is approximately 175,853.82 light years in diameter. (Milky Way is 100,000). M 109’s apparent Magnitude of 10.6 and size 7.6′ x 4.7′ (arc-minute)

The Messier objects were M 1-M 103 discovered and named by Charles Messier (see )until after the fifties when M 104-M 110 were added. M 109 is listed in The New General Catalog it is listed as NGC 3992.

This image was capture through a 5.5″ f/7 TEC refractor using a CCD with KAF 3200me chip cooled to -20c, each exposure was 5 min long 3 for each color channel (RGB) the rest were luminous.