Glittering Lights

The Dorado Group (NGC1549/1533/1566)

The Dorado Group is a loose concentration of galaxies containing both spirals and ellipticals. It is generally considered a 'galaxy group' but may approach the size of a 'galaxy cluster'. It lies primarily in the southern constellation Dorado and is one of the richest galaxy groups of the Southern Hemisphere. A rough distance estimate puts the cluster about 50 million light years away. The dominant member of Dorado Group and also its brightest member is NGC 1566 (top left in the image). This is an intermediate spiral galaxy, meaning that while it does not have a well defined bar-shaped region of stars at its centre — like barred spirals — it is not quite an unbarred spiral either. NGC 1566 is the second brightest Seyfert galaxy in the sky. Seyfert galaxies have a very luminous nucleus with many of the characteristics of a quasar, though much less energetic. At the center of the Dorado group lie interacting galaxies NGC 1553 and NGC 1549 (center right on the image), respectively the second and third brightest member of the cluster. Their interaction appears to be in the early stage and can be seen in optical wavelengths by faint but distinct irregular shells of emission and a curious jet on the northwest side. Another prominent galaxy at bottom right of the image is NGC 1546, an 11th-magnitude lenticular galaxy.Many thanks to Sakib Rasool for suggesting this interesting target mostly overlooked due its proximity to the LMC. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (340m) R (120m) G (120m) B (120m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Galaxy Cluster Abell 1736 - Labeled

Labeled version reporting main IC & PGC galaxies Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (280m) R (120m) G (130m) B (160m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

Galaxy Cluster Abell 1736

The Abell catalog of rich clusters of galaxies is an all-sky catalog of more than 4,073 galaxy clusters of nominal redshift z <= 0.2. This catalog was compiled by George Abell’s original “Northern Survey” of 1958, which had only 2,712 clusters, with a further 1,361 clusters – the “Southern Survey” of 1989 – from those parts of the south celestial hemisphere that had been omitted from the earlier survey. Abell1736 is a rarely imaged rich galaxy cluster in the constellation of Hydra that comprise hundreds of galaxies sparse on less than two degrees of sky. Unfortunately none of these galaxies is particularly large to show many details with amateur telescopes. Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - L (280m) R (120m) G (130m) B (160m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia

The Seagull Nebula (IC 2177)

A broad expanse of glowing gas and dust presents a bird-like visage to astronomers from planet Earth, suggesting its popular moniker - The Seagull Nebula. This portrait of the cosmic bird covers a 2 degree wide swath across the plane of the Milky Way, near the direction of Sirius, alpha star of the constellation Canis Major. Of course, the region includes objects with other catalog designations: notably NGC 2327, a compact, dusty emission region with an embedded massive star that forms the bird's head (aka the Parrot Nebula, right center). IC 2177 forms the sweeping arc of the seagull's wings. Dominated by the reddish glow of atomic hydrogen, the complex of gas and dust clouds with bright young stars spans over 100 light-years at an estimated 3,800 light-year distance (text adapted from APOD). Apo TEC140 (140/f7.2) - FLI Proline 16803 - Ha (330m) OIII (300m) L (250m) R (160m) G (120m) B (60m) - Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia