Arp 76

ARP 76 2015 Feb 27

Object:            ARP 76

(M90, NGC 4569)

Date:               2015 February 27

 

Peculiarity:    Spiral with large, high surface-brightness (HSB) companion on arm.
Constellation:           Virgo Time & altitude: 04.40 UT     41º
Catalogue data: Seeing (5 high):                               3/5
            R.A:                12h 37m Transparency (5 high):                3/5
            Dec:                +13º 11 Telescope:     0.5m f4.1  Dob.
            Magnitude:    10.3

Eyepiece:      17mm Ethos    x120

8mm Ethos      x260

            Galaxy size (mins): 9.7×4.4 & 2×1 Filters:            Lumicon deep sky made no improvement.

Notes:

Easy, bright oval elongated more than 3:1 NE-SW. Stellar nucleus set in a bright core. There were indications of fine dark lanes or similar structure on the E side of the nucleus, suggesting a spiral. These features in the drawing are indicative only, being too fine and delicate to be able to make an accurate record. There is a bright knot in the halo to the SW. I thought the neighbour galaxy IC 3583 to be much fainter than its catalogue magnitude of 13.3. It was just a barely detectable haze, bottom centre in the drawing.