Antilhue - Chile

NGC 4038-39 - The Antennae
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Image Data

Designation NGC 4038 + NGC 4039, The Antennae, The Ringtail Galaxy
Object type Colliding galaxy pair
Coordinates 12 h 02 min     -18° 30'    (Corvus) 
Description A cosmic embrace 60 million light years away.  Shorter exposures show the brightest features of these interacting galaxies as a mirrored question mark or a ringtail.  There are two filaments that give the galaxy pair its other popular name.  They emit strongly in radio wavelengths and were created by the tidal forces of the collision process. These forces also trigger new star forming regions.

A wider field, showing more of the filaments, can be found here.

Exposure LRGB 80:30:30:60 min @ -15°C  -  RGB binned 2x2
Camera SBIG ST-10XE selfguided,  SBIG CFW-8 with Astronomik Type II RGB filter set
Optics RCOS 14.5" Ritchey-Chrétien @ f/9
Mount Astro-Physics AP1200GTO
Software MaxIm DL/CCD, DeBloomer, Sigma Pre Beta 11, Adobe Photoshop CS
Location - Date - Time San Esteban (Chile) - 03Jan04 - 07:00 UTC (L) resp. 01Feb04 - 06:00 UTC (RGB)
Conditions Transparency 7,  Seeing 7, Temperature +13°C