Arp 134

Arp 134 2016 Apr 9

Object:            ARP 134

(M49, NGC 4472)

Date:               2016 April 9

 

Peculiarity:    Elliptical with nearby fragments.
Constellation:           Virgo Time & altitude:  23.15 UT              47º
Catalogue data: Seeing (5 high):                               3/5
            R.A:                12h 30m Transparency (5 high):                   4/5
            Dec:                +8º 00 Telescope:     0.5m f4.1 Dob.
            Magnitude:    9.3

Eyepiece:      17mm Ethos      x120

8mm Ethos      x260

            Galaxy size (mins):   10 x 8 Filters:            None

Notes:

Big, bright and easy, but disappointing because there is no structure visible. I saw it as round although the catalogue dimensions indicate it is an oval. There is a conspicuous foreground star E of the core, in the halo. On the W side of Arp 134 I saw NGC 4467 (14.8m), a 3:1 oval following a 13th magnitude star. Is this one of Arp’s ‘fragments’?  I searched for UGC 7636 (15.8m according to Megastar) but failed to find it. Images of it indicate it has no concentration and its glow is likely spread too thin to see.