Object of the Week, November 9th, 2020 – NGC 7609, HGC 95 and Arp 150
RA: 23 19 30 Dec: +09 30 28
Size: 0.8 x 0.5’ Mag: 14.9b
The Object of the week is NGC 7609, which is the brightest member of Hickson Galaxy Group 95 (HGC 95) and also known as Arp 150. In the Arp catalogue, Arp 149 to 152 contains some sort of jet and NGC 7609 has a jet that appears to be shooting out to the SE of the core. But upon closer examination of the SDSS image, it seems to be part of the galaxy to the SE and not NGC 7609 and it looks like an interesting group of multiple interacting galaxies. Here is an article that talks about a 3-galaxy merger, which NGC 7609 is involved in. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/1...5342.text.html
Through the eyepiece, I’ve observed it several times and the notes are as follows. Note: I have not attempted this object with anything larger than a 22” reflector. I will try with a larger scope in the future.
22” f/4 reflector @ 203, 377, 528 and 881x
At 377 and 528x, Hickson 95 contains one dominant member (NGC 7609, component A) with only one visible member MGC+1-59-48, component B). Bumping up the magnification to 881x, a third member (MCG+1-59-46, component D) popped in and out. The group fits in a 1.5’ circle. Component A – Considerably bright round patch with a brighter core. Averted vision shows only a little more. I didn’t see the jet. Component B – 3:1 elongated faint even surface brightness patch. About 30x10” and PA = 135. About 45” SE from NGC 7609. Component D – Extremely faint and slightly elongated. Even surface brightness patch. 10” long and PA = 0. About 1’ SW of NGC 7609. Component C – not seen
Steve Gottlieb have seen this object couple times through Jimi’s 48” scope.
I just thought that this object is well placed high in the sky at this time of the year. When you look at it and even if you see just NGC 7609 as a faint round glow, just think what is really going on there. Since I was a kid, I always imagined the richness of deep sky observing if we were in a galaxy involved in a collision or a merger. If we were in component C, the spiral galaxy, there would be all sorts of cool stuff to look at. Also imagine that the “Milky Way” isn’t just a straight line, but multiple lines criss-crossing the sky with this huge glow, which would be NGC 7609!
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