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Astronomy Picture of the Day - Hickson 44 in Leo
NASA ^ | 4 Apr, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Jiang Wu

Posted on 04/04/2025 1:58:59 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Scanning the skies for galaxies, Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson and colleagues identified some 100 compact groups of galaxies, now appropriately called Hickson Compact Groups. The four prominent galaxies seen in this intriguing telescopic skyscape are one such group, Hickson 44. The galaxy group is about 100 million light-years distant, far beyond the spiky foreground Milky Way stars, toward the constellation Leo. The two spiral galaxies in the center of the image are edge-on NGC 3190 with its distinctive, warped dust lanes, and S-shaped NGC 3187. Along with the bright elliptical, NGC 3193 (above and left) they are also known as Arp 316. The spiral toward the lower right corner is NGC 3185, the 4th member of the Hickson group. Like other galaxies in Hickson groups, these show signs of distortion and enhanced star formation, evidence of a gravitational tug of war that will eventually result in galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale. The merger process is now understood to be a normal part of the evolution of galaxies, including our own Milky Way. For scale, NGC 3190 is about 75,000 light-years across at the estimated distance of Hickson 44.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 04/04/2025 1:58:59 PM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 04/04/2025 1:59:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

3 posted on 04/04/2025 2:00:22 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Another mind-boogling pic.


4 posted on 04/04/2025 2:03:41 PM PDT by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: MtnClimber

That’s a luck dragon going for the hamburger.


5 posted on 04/04/2025 2:53:48 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: MtnClimber

Galaxies get my attention. This is 2.5 hours on M51 Galaxy. There are actually 4 galaxies in the image, 2 are just hard to see. I plan on adding more data, maybe another 2 hours time permitting.

M51 is the big spiral galaxy, with the smaller NGC 5195 seen on top just above M51. It's believed super massive black holes reside at the galaxy core of both galaxies. M51 distance from earth is estimated to be 23 million light years.

6 posted on 04/04/2025 3:37:16 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: MtnClimber

Is that a jet contrail that I see?


7 posted on 04/04/2025 3:38:14 PM PDT by Larry Lucido (Donate! Don't just post clickbait!)
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To: Larry Lucido

A contrail or a chemtrail???


8 posted on 04/04/2025 4:40:10 PM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: dragnet2

Nice image!


9 posted on 04/04/2025 5:17:41 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

10 posted on 04/04/2025 6:58:08 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: dragnet2

Great photo! I’ve seen it just like that in my 4 1/2” refractor, only a LOT dimmer.


11 posted on 04/05/2025 6:15:28 AM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: telescope115

Thanks...

Btw, if your mount will handle a camera, go for it! Our eyes just can’t compete with a camera.


12 posted on 04/05/2025 10:36:52 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: dragnet2
I have the Losmandy GM8 (going on 20 years). My 20lb refractor is a little too much weight. I should’ve bought the G11.

I started getting my feet wet in solar photography about a year ago. I’ve gotten a few decent pictures. I’m using a Player One camera on my 115mm f/7 scope. It’s pretty cool. I have quite a bit to learn, yet.

13 posted on 04/05/2025 12:20:38 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: telescope115

Stay at it. It can be very frustrating, I know this all too well. That pic above was actually about 4 hours exposure but I had to dump about 2 hours of images due to a variety of issues. I wasn’t very happy about that but that’s just part of the game.


14 posted on 04/06/2025 9:02:14 AM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: dragnet2

I certainly will stay at it, thanks!


15 posted on 04/06/2025 5:04:50 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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