by Craig and Tammy Temple
This beautiful quartet of galaxies in Leo was cataloged by Canadian astronomer Paul Hickson as entry #44 in his Atlas of Compact Groups of Galaxies. From left to right in this image are NGC3193, a magnitude 11.80 elliptical, NGC3190, a magnitude 12.00 edge-on spiral, NGC3187, a magnitude 13.60 peculiar barred spiral and NGC3185, a magnitude 12.90 barred spiral. It is believed that these galaxies are close and gravitationally affecting each other.
Telescope: 10” Orion Newtonian at f/4.7
Accessories: Baader MPCC
Mount: Orion Atlas EQ-G controlled by EQMOD
Guiding: Orion StarShoot AutoGuider on William Optics ZS66
Camera: Canon Digital Rebel T1i, Hap Griffin Baader modified
Filters: Astronomik CLS-CCD EOS Clip
Exposure: 91 x 180sec @ ISO 800 (4hr. 33min.)
Acquisition: ImagesPlus 3.82 Camera Control
Processing: ImagesPlus 3.80a – Calibrated, registered, averaged, DDP
Post-processing: Adobe Photoshop CS4; Gradient XTerminator; Noise Ninja
Date(s): April 1 & 5, 2010
Temperature(s): N1:72ºF (dropped to 68ºF); N2:79ºF (dropped to 73ºF)
SQM reading (begin - end): N1:18.59 - 18.84; N2:18.60 - 19.14