| Object: ARP 168 (M32) |
Date: 2015 September 12 (and September 17) |
| Peculiarity: Diffuse counter-tails. | |
| Constellation: Andromeda | Time & altitude: 23.40 UT 71º |
| Catalogue data: | Seeing (5 high): 3/5 |
| R.A: 00h 43m | Transparency (5 high): 4/5 |
| Dec: +40º 52 | Telescope: 0.5m f4.1 Dob. |
| Magnitude 9.0 | Eyepiece: 8mm Ethos x260 |
| Galaxy size (min) 8.7 x 6.4 | Filters: None. |
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Notes: Satellite of M31 and either inside, or seen against or through, M31’s halo. Arp 168 seems to lie on the end of a stream in M31’s halo which comes in from the N or NE. The NW edge of this stream is defined by a darker area or lane. I could not see the faint diffuse plume that Arp noted. Arp 168 itself is slightly oval, say 7:8, with the major axis pointing approximately to the core of M31. It has a bright almost stellar core and the halo is grainy – is this partial resolution into stars? Re-observed the galaxy on September 17 in similarly excellent seeing to confirm certain features in the September 12 drawing. |
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