Dragan
February 28th, 2021, 11:57 PM
Arp 6
UGC 4274
PGC 23040
Mrk 86
Galaxy
Constellation: Lynx
RA: 08 13 14.5
DEC: +45 59 31
Type SB(s)m pec
Mag: 11.7
Size: 1.9' x 1.7'
Lying across the border from the Bears Toes in Lynx is the Bear Paw Galaxy, NGC2537. NGC2537 is a rather "peculiar" barred spiral - pun intended BTW - in that I have yet to wrap my head around how this galaxy, speaking strictly from a visual POV, is classified as a barred spiral galaxy. But more on that later.
Located in Lynx at an approximate distance of 25Mly, NGC 2537 was discovered by William Herschel using his 18.7" speculum mirrored telescope in 1788. Herschel himself described it as "approaching planetary" in appearance, no doubt alluding to its nearly circular appearance. One source I found claimed that NGC 2537 was originally classified as a globular by Dreyer, again owing to its round, circular appearance. Today, in larger more modern scopes, NGC 2537 proves to be much more unique in appearance that Halton Arp recognized it as such and labeled it #6 in his catalog of Peculiar Galaxies.
Although classified in the RC3 as a barred spiral galaxy owing to what astronomers believed was a single, detached arm that wraps 180 degrees around an ill-defined core, NGC2537 has also been identified as a BCD, or a Blue Compact Dwarf or even compact irregular in some literature. BCD's typically comprise of young irregular or lenticular galaxies. Comprised of very little gas or dust, BCDs primary stellar makeup is that of young, blue energetic stars which gives BCD's their typical blue appearance. Some other characteristics of BCD's include but not limited to:
Small in size. Some are less than a 10th the size of our own Milky Way
Faint
Low in metal content with very little dust or gas in its overall composition
They appear blue in color
High in starburst activity
Many are involved in galactic mergers
But, one common aspect of all BCD?s is their lack of uniform shape IE they are typically irregular. Visually speaking, I would agree with that claim but take that with a huge grain of salt as I know not of what I speak! :P Visually, and to briefly circle back to the end of paragraph 1, the reason I feel the way I do is that when I look at the Bears Paw, it doesn't, in anyway, resemble what we've come to expect in a barred spiral. Barred spirals such as NGC 2500, NGC 2523 or NGC 1300 are ubiquitous examples of spiral galaxies exhibiting a bar structure with sweeping spiral structure. I just don?t see one in NGC 2537 no matter how hard I look.
NGC2537 was spotted by our own Sue French in her 5.1" refractor. In her book Deep-Sky Wonders she writes that Arp 6 shows 'a bright, core that exhibits odd, large-scale patchiness'. In her 14.5" scope she starts to see "3 lumps", or the "toes" of the Bears Paw. Although I have observed this object many times, I myself have only two, albeit not very descriptive, annotated observations. One with my 25" and the other with the 48".
Feb 20th 2010 Green River SP "S4/10 T7/10 315x Bears Paw. Lynx. Defined round shape. The 3 toes are apparent. Little mottling."
March 24th, 2012 Ft Davis TX "21.7SQM 488x Looks great! Defined dark lanes show the claws well. 15.3mag NGC 2537A visible due south of 2437"
Which brings us to two great extras for this OOTW - NGC2537A and IC2233.
NGC2537A or more appropriately titled PGC23057, a smaller and fainter spiral galaxy 4.5' E of 2537. This spiral makes for an interesting object as it lies nearly 500Mly beyond 2527. The other, IC2233, is a beautiful superthin 17' south/southeast of 2537. Jimi covered IC2233 as an OOTW 6 years ago in this post (https://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?695-Object-of-the-week-March-15-2015-IC-2233-(Superthin)&highlight=2233), so please check it out.
Please consider NGC2537 the next time you're out observing. It isn't particularly difficult and it provides a beautiful view that actually looks like its namesake. And how fitting is it that this object lies just off the "toes" of the Big Bear!
And as always,
Give it a go and let us know!
4221
4222
4223
copyright: Naoyuki Kurita
************************************************** ****************************
Ok. Just a quick OT response. I've seen it in other posts and I'm now seeing in this one. Formatting of certain characters isn't rendering properly. Parenthesis, quotes, hyphens, copyright symbols etc.
We are aware and will look into this immediately.
EDIT: A little progress. By compiling in MS Word, and copying and pasting my post to DSF, it incurs these errors. I was able to go back and remove the errors. If you draft in word and then copy and paste into DSF, you may see these same formatting errors. You will have to go back after posting and change the errors in DSF. After saving your edits, your errors will be fixed.
We will continue looking for a fix. This is just a quick dirty workaround.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
UGC 4274
PGC 23040
Mrk 86
Galaxy
Constellation: Lynx
RA: 08 13 14.5
DEC: +45 59 31
Type SB(s)m pec
Mag: 11.7
Size: 1.9' x 1.7'
Lying across the border from the Bears Toes in Lynx is the Bear Paw Galaxy, NGC2537. NGC2537 is a rather "peculiar" barred spiral - pun intended BTW - in that I have yet to wrap my head around how this galaxy, speaking strictly from a visual POV, is classified as a barred spiral galaxy. But more on that later.
Located in Lynx at an approximate distance of 25Mly, NGC 2537 was discovered by William Herschel using his 18.7" speculum mirrored telescope in 1788. Herschel himself described it as "approaching planetary" in appearance, no doubt alluding to its nearly circular appearance. One source I found claimed that NGC 2537 was originally classified as a globular by Dreyer, again owing to its round, circular appearance. Today, in larger more modern scopes, NGC 2537 proves to be much more unique in appearance that Halton Arp recognized it as such and labeled it #6 in his catalog of Peculiar Galaxies.
Although classified in the RC3 as a barred spiral galaxy owing to what astronomers believed was a single, detached arm that wraps 180 degrees around an ill-defined core, NGC2537 has also been identified as a BCD, or a Blue Compact Dwarf or even compact irregular in some literature. BCD's typically comprise of young irregular or lenticular galaxies. Comprised of very little gas or dust, BCDs primary stellar makeup is that of young, blue energetic stars which gives BCD's their typical blue appearance. Some other characteristics of BCD's include but not limited to:
Small in size. Some are less than a 10th the size of our own Milky Way
Faint
Low in metal content with very little dust or gas in its overall composition
They appear blue in color
High in starburst activity
Many are involved in galactic mergers
But, one common aspect of all BCD?s is their lack of uniform shape IE they are typically irregular. Visually speaking, I would agree with that claim but take that with a huge grain of salt as I know not of what I speak! :P Visually, and to briefly circle back to the end of paragraph 1, the reason I feel the way I do is that when I look at the Bears Paw, it doesn't, in anyway, resemble what we've come to expect in a barred spiral. Barred spirals such as NGC 2500, NGC 2523 or NGC 1300 are ubiquitous examples of spiral galaxies exhibiting a bar structure with sweeping spiral structure. I just don?t see one in NGC 2537 no matter how hard I look.
NGC2537 was spotted by our own Sue French in her 5.1" refractor. In her book Deep-Sky Wonders she writes that Arp 6 shows 'a bright, core that exhibits odd, large-scale patchiness'. In her 14.5" scope she starts to see "3 lumps", or the "toes" of the Bears Paw. Although I have observed this object many times, I myself have only two, albeit not very descriptive, annotated observations. One with my 25" and the other with the 48".
Feb 20th 2010 Green River SP "S4/10 T7/10 315x Bears Paw. Lynx. Defined round shape. The 3 toes are apparent. Little mottling."
March 24th, 2012 Ft Davis TX "21.7SQM 488x Looks great! Defined dark lanes show the claws well. 15.3mag NGC 2537A visible due south of 2437"
Which brings us to two great extras for this OOTW - NGC2537A and IC2233.
NGC2537A or more appropriately titled PGC23057, a smaller and fainter spiral galaxy 4.5' E of 2537. This spiral makes for an interesting object as it lies nearly 500Mly beyond 2527. The other, IC2233, is a beautiful superthin 17' south/southeast of 2537. Jimi covered IC2233 as an OOTW 6 years ago in this post (https://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?695-Object-of-the-week-March-15-2015-IC-2233-(Superthin)&highlight=2233), so please check it out.
Please consider NGC2537 the next time you're out observing. It isn't particularly difficult and it provides a beautiful view that actually looks like its namesake. And how fitting is it that this object lies just off the "toes" of the Big Bear!
And as always,
Give it a go and let us know!
4221
4222
4223
copyright: Naoyuki Kurita
************************************************** ****************************
Ok. Just a quick OT response. I've seen it in other posts and I'm now seeing in this one. Formatting of certain characters isn't rendering properly. Parenthesis, quotes, hyphens, copyright symbols etc.
We are aware and will look into this immediately.
EDIT: A little progress. By compiling in MS Word, and copying and pasting my post to DSF, it incurs these errors. I was able to go back and remove the errors. If you draft in word and then copy and paste into DSF, you may see these same formatting errors. You will have to go back after posting and change the errors in DSF. After saving your edits, your errors will be fixed.
We will continue looking for a fix. This is just a quick dirty workaround.
We apologize for the inconvenience.