Here are a few new images taken from my home in Reisterstown, MD.
PGC 16052
This object, designated as NGC 1573 in Stellarium, is more correctly identified as PGC 16052. Stellarium has another galaxy, an elliptical galaxy discovered by Wilhelm Tempel (PGC 15570) also identified as NGC 1573. The confusion arises because Stellarium includes both NGC 1573 and PGC 16052, which is sometimes referred to as NGC 1573A.
PGC 16052 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation Camelopardalis. It has an apparent magnitude of about 14.0. This galaxy is sometimes informally referred to as NGC 1573A, though it is not officially part of the NGC catalog and is not physically associated with NGC 1573. NGC 1573 is just about 0.25 degree south of PGC 16052.
An interesting feature in the image is the cascade of stars pointing right to the galaxy.
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| PGC 16052 - Nov 3 and 30, 2024 EdgeHD 11" / ASI2600mm Camera Total integration time 4h38m |
Jones-Emberson 1 (Headphone Nebula)
Jones-Emberson 1 (PK 164+31.1) is a planetary nebula located 1,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lynx. The nebula consists of ionized gas ejected from a central white dwarf star during its final evolutionary stage. Its distinctive blue-green coloration is primarily due to doubly ionized oxygen (OIII) emission at 500.7nm wavelength. The nebula maintains a nearly spherical morphology with an apparent diameter of 5.5 arcminutes, though its surface brightness is relatively low at magnitude 17.0. Discovered in 1939 at McDonald Observatory, it represents a typical example of a late-stage planetary nebula.
I imaged this object over the period April 16,17,28 and 29 2025, while thin clouds and equipment problems prevented me from getting the number of subs I had planned. All the data on the 29th couldn't be used because of registration issues (not enough stars). But the existing ones proved good enough for me to give it a go and process this PN.
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| Jones-Emberson 1 EdgeHD 11"/ ASI2600mm Camera RGB Ha and O3 - Integration time: 5h55m |
M53
Messier 53 (NGC 5024) stands as one of the more remote globular clusters in the Milky Way's halo, situated approximately 60,000 light-years from Earth and 58,000 light-years from the galactic center. This class V cluster spans roughly 220 light-years in diameter and exhibits notably low metallicity, with a metal abundance only about 1% that of our Sun. Its estimated age of 12.67 billion years places it among the oldest known stellar populations in our galaxy. M53's integrated spectral type is F6, and it has an absolute magnitude of -8.77. The cluster's core radius measures 2.18 light-years, while its half-light radius extends to about 12.6 light-years. Notably, M53 contains a significant population of RR Lyrae variable stars and blue stragglers, making it a valuable target for studying stellar evolution in metal-poor environments.
Lost in my collection of 'to-be-processed' objects, I recently found this already post-processed globular cluster while I was searching for new objects to image. I figure it is about time I posted it.
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| M53 - May 6, 2023 EdgeHD 11" / ASI533mc Camera / Astronomik L-2 Luminance UV/IR Block filter 53x180sec exposures - Total integration time: 2h39m |
Arp 269 (Cocoon Galaxy)
Arp 269, also known as the Cocoon Galaxy, is an interacting galaxy pair comprising NGC 4490 and NGC 4485, located approximately 45 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. The gravitational interaction between these galaxies has triggered intense star formation, particularly in NGC 4490, where tidal forces have distorted its structure and fueled regions of high-density gas compression. The exchange of material between the two galaxies has led to the formation of extensive starburst regions and a prominent bridge of stellar debris connecting them.
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| Arp 269 - May 20, 2025 EdgeHD 11" / ASI2600mm LRGB Total Integration: 4h48m |
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