NGC 2146 Starburst Galaxy

MOUSEOVER IMAGE FOR STARLESS VIEW

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE VIEW (4122x2789)

Scope: Celestron 9.25 Edge HD 235 mm at f/7; Location: DAA Observatory, Shelter Valley, CA;  Dates:  8, 15 September, 8, 13 October 2023; Camera: ASI294MM (Baader  L, RGB Filters)

Exposure:   Lum 128 x 3. minutes (gain-121 2x2), RGB - 36 each x 2 minutes  - (gain-121 2x2).

Processing: Data Collection -  N.I.N.A. (as FITs).  Sub-frame calibration - Pixinsight (WBPP). Sub-frame  registration and integration (Average combine -  Winsorized sigma clipping,  2X drizzle for  Lum) - PixInsight (WBPP).  NoiseXTerminator (RGB, Lum) - PixInsight.  Non-linear stretching for Lum - PixInsight. RGB combine and stretching, Photometric RGB calibration (SPCC)  - PixInsight. De-convolution - BlurXTerminator (AI4) - PixInsight. Generation of starless  Lum and RGB image for later processing - StarXTerminator  (PixInsight.)  Lum stars (lower stretch) screened into Lum starless  for star size control - PixInsight.  Luminance  construction layered onto RGB - Pixinsight. Final finishing  - Affinity Photo.  Annotation - PixInsight, Aladin (Simbad), and Affinity Photo. This image is a RGB image with Luminance Layering.  Image processed at 8288x5644 resolution (2x drizzle stacks). Full Field image size is approximately 6448x4391.

North is up in this image. This is an image of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 2146 and its companion NGC 2146A (UGC3439).  NGC 2146 is a peculiar spiral, SB(s)ab pec, that did not make Arp's catalog. Its distance is about 56.7 million light years (by Tully-Fisher estimate); it has significant star formation activity within. NGC 2146A is a spiral galaxy, SAB(s)c,. Its distance is about 71 million light years (by Tully-Fisher estimate).  

The Low surface brightness galaxy [OBC97] N 1-2 lies above and to the left of NGC 2146. It is cataloged in the O'Neal, Bothun, Cornel survey of LSB galaxies (limited area) - but has no distance estimate. There is a "Possible Cluster of Galaxies" cataloged XCLASS 721 in this image to the left of NGC 2146. It is centered about the galaxy PGC 2776169 - which is about 1,694 million light years distant (by redshift estimate). 

The mouse-over starless image shows many of the distant background galaxies (isolated from the MW galaxy stars). There are also two Quasars visible in this image. The Quasar WISEA J062049.27+782945.8 has a light travel time (Lookback) of 10.83 billion years and has a redshift of 2.300  These objects, information, and some of the brighter stars are identified in the annotated image.   

The Horizontal Full FOV is approximately 0.668 degrees. Full size image scale is approximately 0.583 arcsec/pix.

Image Center approximately - Equatorial 2000: RA: 06h 21m 02s Dec: +78°25'30"

All images and content remain the property of Jim Thommes - copyright 2003 - 2024

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