NGC 5850

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The image shows NGC 5850 (lower left). This disrupted, barred spiral in the constellation Virgo has been studied by Higdon, Buta and Purcell, "An Optical and HI Study of NGC 5850: Victim of a High-Speed Encounter?" The Astronomical Journal, January 1998. It's peculiar bar and ring morphology is thought to be the result of a high-speed encounter with the massive elliptical, NGC 5846 (just out of the field of view). NGC 5846 is the largest and brightest member of a small galaxy group, including NGC 5839, NGC 5845, NGC 5846A, NGC 5846B and NGC 5850 itself. Luginbuhl and Skiff give the dimensions of NGC 5850 as 4'.3 x 3'.9 with a V magnitude of 11.0 and a surface brightness of 13.8. This compares with dimensions of 3'.4 x 3'.2, a V magnitude of 10.2 and a surface brightness of 12.8 for NGC 5846.i (Caption by Robert Kuberek)

Equipment

20in RC Optical Systems telescope Operating at f/8.4
SBIG ST10XME CCD camera with color filter wheel

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

Luminance = 105 minutes binned 1x1
 Red = 40 minutes binned 2x2
 Green = 40 minutes binned 2x2
Blue = 40 minutes binned 2x2
  • This data set is the combination of two nights.
  • Two iterations of CCDsharp were applied to this 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.

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    Minimum credit line: Jeff and Paul Neumann/Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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    Updated: 05/02/05