Object of The Week March 21, 2021 NGC 3341 A Triple Merger

[Uwe Glahn]

Wohoo Jimi, that was no target for the 4-inch "pleasure-observer".
I gave it a try under exceptional good seeing (2 from 6) for my standard location and average transparency (NELM 6m5+). But it was a long fight with my 27-inch. First core, beside the brighter main nucleus, was the somewhat fainter C. At 586x, C stands outside the galaxy halo as a small fussy glow. I could not resolve B. At 837x, C again was visible more easily but at the limit of perception because of the very small EP. With that magnification B also pops out but was difficult to resolve from the core. The main halo was elongated roughly north-south, but with a triangle towards northeast in direction to B which makes it difficult to me to separate it from the nucleus. I will add a sketch later.

[Frank Richardsen]

HI Jimi and Uwe,
what a nice and interesting object!
fortunately, I was out on Easter Sunday in a really beautiful night with good transparency, dry air and stunning seeing! I talked about this object with Uwe and tried it immediately in my 36 -inch...
The galaxy was easy to find and seems at 940x to tapered in SW, interrupt by a faint dark bar. Strangely the A nucleus core was seen relatively clear in the bright part of the galaxy, the both other nucleus came across a little more difficult.
C stand a bit remote of the bright part of the galaxy in a fuzzy glow, the B - core was for me the more difficult one but also clear to detect. The drawing will follow.

[Jimi Lowrey]

Uwe and Frank glad you got to observe this unusual late triple merger. I look forward to see both of your drawings. You guys are probably the first to visually observe all three of the galaxy cores live. Congratulations well done.