afesan

Messier3, NGC 5263 (Canes Venatici) * May 2014 * ASA N12 astrograph (f/3.6,1078mm) * ASA DDM85 mount * FLI ML8300 at -25ºC * Optec LRGB filter set * L: 150m R:50m G:45m B:65 m * Unguided * Messier 3 (also known as M3 or NGC 5272) is a globular cluster of stars in the northern constellation of Canes Venatici. It was discovered by Charles Messier on May 3, 1764, and resolved into stars by William Herschel around 1784. Since then, it has become one of the best-studied globular clusters. Identification of the cluster's unusually large variable star population was begun in 1913 by American astronomer Solon Irving Bailey and new variable members continue to be identified up through 2004. Many amateur astronomers consider it one of the finest northern globular clusters, following only Messier 13. M3 has an apparent magnitude of 6.2 making it a difficult naked eye target even with dark conditions. With a moderate-sized telescope, the cluster is fully defined. It can be a challenge to locate through the technique of star hopping, but can be found by looking almost exactly halfway along an imaginary line connecting the bright star Arcturus to Cor Caroli. Using a telescope with a 25 cm (9.8 in) aperture, the cluster has a bright core with a diameter of about 6 arcminutes and spans a total of 12 arcminutes This cluster is one of the largest and brightest, and is made up of around 500,000 stars. It is estimated to be 8 billion years old. It is located at a distance of about 33,900 light-years away from Earth. Messier 3 is located 31.6 kly (9.7 kpc) above the Galactic plane and roughly 38.8 kly (11.9 kpc) from the center of the Milky Way. It contains 274 known variable stars; by far the highest number found in any globular cluster. These include 133 RR Lyrae variables, of which about a third display the Blazhko effect of long-period modulation. The overall abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium, what astronomers term the metallicity, is in the range of –1.34 to –1.50 dex. This value gives the logarithm of the abundance relative to the Sun; the actual proportion is 3.2–4.6% of the solar abundance. Messier 3 is the prototype for the Oosterhoff type I cluster, which is considered "metal-rich". That is, for a globular cluster, Messier 3 has a relatively high abundance of heavier elements. References: Wikipedia

Compact Galaxy Groups have always been of interest to astronomers ever since Stephan discoverd his famous Stephan's Quintet in 1877. The Hickson Compact Galaxy Groups were compiled by Paul Hickson and published in his Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies in 1994.There are exactly 100 entries. They represent the brightest groups visible to northern observers and this of course makes them ideal targets for amateur astronomers.Many of the objects are small, lending themeselves to the longer focal length telescopes. NGC 5371 is a face-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. NGC 5371 (which also seems to be known as NGC 5390) is a symmetrical face-on Sbc barred spiral galaxy at a distance of 100 million light years. This galaxy with Hickson Galaxy Group 68 makes up the Big Lick Galaxy Group. NGC-5353 is the brightest member of a galaxy group known as Hickson Compact Group 68. More specifically this is the 68th entry in Paul Hickson’s 1982 publication of small galaxy groups. NGC-5353 shines at mag. 11.0 and is approximately 110 million light years away. The galaxy measures 2.4 by 1.2 arc minutes in size, which puts the diameter of the galaxy at 70,000 light years, if the distance is accurate. The next brightest galaxy in the group is NGC-5354 (mag. 11.4), which lies just north of NGC-5353. NGC-5354, like NGC-5353, is classified as an S0 galaxy (spiral with no spiral arms). NGC-5354 is slightly smaller in apparent and real size and may be 20 million light years farther away. Just north of that pair is NGC-5350 at mag. 11.5. NGC-5350 is a face-on barred spiral galaxy and also a Seyfert galaxy (has an active galactic nucleus). It lies at the same distance as NGC-5353 and is slightly larger in size. NGC-5355 and NGC-5358 are fainter members of Hickson Compact Group 68. NGC- 5355 is a mag. 13.2 elliptical galaxy while NGC-5358 is a mag. 14.6 lenticular galaxy. Info credits: MONTHLY OBSERVER’S CHALLENGE Las Vegas Astronomical Society June 2012 NGC-5353 – Hickson 68 - Galaxy Group In Canes Venatici Compiled by: Roger Ivester, Boiling Springs, North Carolina & !Fred Rayworth, Las Vegas, Nevada! With special assistance from:! Rob Lambert, Las Vegas, Nevada

Messier 85 (also known as M85 or NGC 4382 or PGC 40515 or ISD 0135852) is a lenticular galaxy, or elliptical galaxy for other authors, in the Coma Berenices constellation. It is 60 million light years away, and it is estimated to be 125,000 light years across. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781. It is the northernmost outlier of the Virgo cluster. It's extremely poor in neutral hydrogen and has a very complex outer structure with shells and ripples that are thought to have been caused by a merger with another galaxy that took place between 4 and 7 billion years ago, as well as a relatively young ( Actually the characteristics of M85 black hole it´s debated in astronomical forums.[1] The type I supernova, 1960R was discovered in M85 on December 20, 1960 and reached an apparent magnitude of 11.7. This galaxy has also been the host of the first luminous red nova identified as such, M85 OT2006-1. It was discovered on January 7 of 2006 and took place on the outskirts of this galaxy. M85 is interacting with the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 4394, and a small elliptical galaxy called MCG 3-32-38. References: Wikipedia [1]http://www.universetoday.com/89952/is-m85-missing-a-black-hole/