NGC 4038 "Antenna" Galaxy

NGC 4038 is one of the Herschel 400 deep sky objects. It is also called the "Ring Tail" galaxy. Although the center is fairly bright, the outer regions of the spiral arms are very dim. You should just be able to see the central area of the galaxy with a 6-inch scope and may be able to glimpse the antenna with averted vision in a 10 inch or larger scope, if viewing from a dark sky location. The "antenna" are extensions of the spiral arms which just start to show in my image. It is a classic example of what colliding galaxies can do. To see the full extent of the "antenna" visit the sites I've provided links for.

This image was taken at the same time as the f4.8 image below. The Orion MAK 500 was attached to the LX 200 which was guided by MX-5C and STAR 2000. A nice feature of my system is that I can image through both the Orion MAK 500 and the LX 200 simultaneously. Click here for a larger image.	Scope: Orion MAK 500
	Nikon Film Back w/ Kodak MAX 800 film
	Focal Ratio: f5.5
	Exposure 20 min
	Scope: 8" LX 200 SCT
	MX-5C CCD Camera, STAR 2000 and IDAS LPR
	Focal Ratio: f4.8
	Exposure: 60 min (three 20 min combined)
	Click here for the SEDS NGC Catalog Click here for an HST Image Click here for more images of the "Antenna"
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NGC 4038 "Antenna Galaxy"
NGC 4038 is one of the Herschel 400 deep sky objects. It is also called the "Ring Tail" galaxy. Although the center is fairly bright, the outer regions of the spiral arms are very dim. You should just be able to see the central area of the galaxy with a 6-inch scope and may be able to glimpse the antenna with averted vision in a 10 inch or larger scope, if viewing from a dark sky location. The "antenna" are extensions of the spiral arms which just start to show in my image. It is a classic example of what colliding galaxies can do. To see the full extent of the "antenna" visit the sites I've provided links for.
	Constellation: Corvus Size: 3.7 x 1.7 arcmin Magnitude: 10.9 Surface Brightness: -- RA: 12h 01m 53.3s Dec: -18d 52m 18s