UGC 3730 = Arp 141, VV 123

Camelopardalis
RA: 07 14 20
DEC: +73 28 37
MAG: 13.2b

Type: interacting galaxies


“High in the sky” or better “in the middle of nowhere” we find this interesting galaxy/galaxy pair.

First scientist who draws attention to the pair was the Russian astronomer Vorontsov-Velyaminov in 1958 on the plates of the Palomar Survey. Before he published his first parts of his famous catalogue he sends this interesting object to the Burbidge’s which had access to the powerful 82-inch telescope of the McDonald Observatory. They first assume a collision or a formation stage between both galaxies [1959ApJ...130...23B].
Later Sandage uses the even bigger power of the new 200-inch to study the pair and made the hypothesis that the companion part of the pair is only “condensing of the intergalactic medium” [1963ApJ...138..863S].
Two years later, Limber picks up the idea of collision again [1965ApJ...142.1346L].
Newer investigations of Delgado-Donate et al. spoke about interaction of this system. They present dwarf candidates, also brighter that 18mag and so perhaps a target for bigger amateur apertures. But sighting the paper [2003A&A...402..921D] I could not confirm such bright dwarfs from their chart.
Not the bear Arp in mind I have to add that the system also find entry in his compilation. He catalogued the pair in the category “Material emanating from elliptical”.

Nevertheless the origin of the system it presents a very exiting pair visually. I guess with around 13mag the brighter core could almost be visible in a 4-inch telescope. Larger telescopes show the fainter southern companion as a knot with the even fainter tails to the south.

DSS blue 10'x10'
UGC3730_DSS10b.jpg

PanSTARRS g-band 4'x4'
UGC3730_PanSTARRS_4g.jpg

200-inch Hale telescope
UGC3730_200.jpeg

sketch: 16", 360x, NELM 6m5+
UGC3730.jpg

sketch:27", 419x-586x, NELM 7m0+
UGC3730_27.jpg

As always, give it a go and let us know