The Arp catalogue given out Dr. Halton C. Arp between 1961 and 1966 is named the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Arp 299 (aka NGC 3690) is the central group in this image and probably consists of at least three interacting galaxies. Arp 296 is the two interacting galaxies to the right of Arp 299, described as "double galaxy with long filaments". There is no interactions between Arp 299 and 296 since Arp 299 is approximately 130 million light-years away while Arp 296 is much further away (approximately 800 million light-years).
The image also show some very faint tidal trails stretching out upwards and downwards from Arp 299.
By pure chance I also caught a supernova during my exposures. I had no idea that it was there but then I noticed this recent post by
@Thomas Rox :
https://www.astrobin.com/4aw6t3/. It is the blue dot near the top right edge of Arp 299 and is named SN 2023 wrk. It was discovered on 4 November 2023 and it is a type Ia supernova. It is clearly still shining quite brightly.
I took this image with the Margareta Westlund Telescope in southern Spain, owned by the Swedish Amateur Astronomical Society and available remotely to its members.
Please zoom in, there is no shortage of galaxies in this image. Is it only me that see a face in Arp 299?
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