Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Corvus (Crv)  ·  Contains:  Antennae  ·  NGC 4038  ·  NGC 4039
Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61), Steven Bellavia
The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61)
Powered byPixInsight

The Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61)

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61), Steven Bellavia
The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61)
Powered byPixInsight

The Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61)

Equipment

Loading...

Acquisition details

Loading...

Description

The Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038/NGC 4039, (PGC 37967 / 37969, Caldwell 60/61) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They are currently going through a starburst phase, in which the collision of clouds of gas and dust, with entangled magnetic fields, causes rapid star formation. They were discovered by William Herschel in 1785.

I am a little surprised that Sir Patrick Moore gave up two of his 110 Caldwell numbers for this object. I really think this close pair could have been assigned just one Caldwell number, and he could of used the other number for objects like NGC 2903 or the Tiger's Eye galaxy, NGC 2841, especially since I think these objects are easier to see in an amateur telescope than the antennae galaxies.

Comments

Revisions

  • The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61), Steven Bellavia
    Original
  • Final
    The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61), Steven Bellavia
    J

Sky plot

Sky plot

Histogram

The  Antennae Galaxies, NGC 4038 and 4039 (Caldwell 60 and 61), Steven Bellavia

In these public groups

Imaged with APT

In these collections

Galaxies