NGC 4216

Click on image for larger version.

NGC 4216 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located not far from the center of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. If the redshift of this galaxy was used to calculate the distance to it- the distance would be much smaller than expected. This is due to the internal motions of galaxies inside the Virgo Cluster. The entire group of galaxies is moving away from us, but NGC 4216 is moving towards us with respect to other group members. Thus, the net velocity for NGC 4216 is smaller than expected. Based on all information, this galaxy is roughly 40 million light years away. Inevitably astronomers will attempt to classify edge-on galaxies- which is often difficult due to the perspective we view them. In this case, many astronomers have measured aspects of this galaxy which lead them to believed it is a barred spiral galaxy, not unlike NGC 3953.

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 = 80 minutes binned 1x1
Red = 20 minutes binned 2x2
Green = 20 minutes binned 2x2
Blue = 20 minutes binned 2x2

Due to excessive wind gusts the red data from this first night with Ken was not usable. Better red data was taken on the following night under the auspices of Mike Durkin and Lily Joe.

Three iterations of L-R deconvolution (sharpening) algorithm using CCDsharp were applied to the luminance image.

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.

Minimum credit line: Ken Siarkiewicz/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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Updated: 02/10/2005