NGC 3294

Click on image for larger version.


 NGC 3294 is a tightly coiled galaxy around 70 million light years away. This galaxy has a small bar in its heart and it was one of many galaxies surveyed by astronomers recently. In the survey, astronomers looked at over 900 different galaxies (NGC 3294 shown here was one) and tried to determine if their shape was caused by their environment. What they found is that barred galaxies seem to form in a variety of environments (with and without the perturbating effects of neighboring galaxies) . Thus they concluded that barred spiral galaxies probably form due to mechanics in the galaxy itself.

Equipment

20in RC Optical Systems telescope Operating at f/8.4
Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount
SBIG ST10XME CCD camera with color filter wheel

L R G B color production was used to create this image.

Luminance = 90 minutes binned 1x1
 Red = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Green = 20 minutes binned 2x2
 Blue = 20 minutes binned 2x2
  • Digital Development (DDP) via Maxim/DL was also used in order to display the the very dim and very bright details of the image simultaneously.

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    Minimum credit line: Ryan Steinberg and Family/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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    Updated: 12/18/2004