Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Ursa Major (UMa)
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PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major), rhedden
PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major)
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PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major)

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PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major), rhedden
PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major)
Powered byPixInsight

PGC 2492787 (Ursa Major)

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Description

PGC 2492787 (also designated 2MASX J13562835+5509584) is a faint spiral galaxy in Ursa Major with highly extended arms.  It turned up as an eye-catching background object in a far corner of my widefield refractor image of M101.  TheSkyX databases list its visual magnitude as 17.55, and SIMBAD says it measures 0.48’ x 0.22’.  It is listed as a LINER type, meaning its core contains a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region.  Spectral lines are dominated by weakly ionized or neutral atoms.  The Wikipedia page for LINER galaxies says, “LINERs are found less frequently in Sb-Scd galaxies (spiral galaxies with small bulges and loosely wound spiral arms).”  This galaxy sure looks like one of those exceptions with loosely wound arms.   

This galaxy is clearly not a logical target for a 4” refractor.  However, the image has 25+ hours of integration behind it, enough to show that there is something interesting here.  I thought I would post it because it may appeal to someone with a larger telescope and better seeing than I typically have here.  Hope you enjoyed seeing this unusual object.

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