NGC 6052 (NGC 6064), VV 86, Arp 209, Mrk 297

Hercules

RA: 16 05 13
DEC: +20 32 31
Size: ~0.7’x0.4’
Mag: 14.1V, 13.3B
SB: 11.6

If you open a star map or planetarium software you first see lots of circles and numbers over the position of NGC 6052 – a sure sign of an interesting object.

The confusion began within the NGC. Albert Marth counts as the discoverer in the year of 1864. He uses the 48” (popular aperture ) Lassell Reflector in Malta. But William Herschel noticed a nebula with the same DEC but with 2’ difference in RA – NGC 6064 – 80 years before.

In both cases the NGC listed two objects. First modern catalog which listed the galaxy as interacting galaxies was as often Vorontsov-Velyaminov with the number 86. ARP listed the galaxy as number 209 “Irregularities, absorption and resolution – chaotic with loops”. Chaotic is the right expression because it was not clear what this object was. Alloin and Duflot supposed a collision. The HST showed strong HII regions and knots of star bursts.

The very small galaxy could easily be seen with an 8” telescope. Bigger telescopes showed the chaotic structure. Lots of knots spread over the small but bright ~0.7’x0.4’ area. The challenge is to see and separate these knots. Helping charts and pictures are shown below.

6052_1.jpg
"NGC 6052 - A collision of two late spirals; Alloin, D. & Duflot, R."

NGC6052_2.jpg
HST

NGC6052_3.jpg
SDSS

NGC6052.jpg
sketch with 27", 586x-837x, Seeing II, NELM 6m5+

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GOOD LUCK AND GREAT VIEWING!