Object of the Week, April 13 2014 – NGC 4676A/B “The Mice”

[FaintFuzzies]

This was a very good object. It was one of the first object I looked at TSP 2006 with my 30" Stamaster under NELM 7.2 skies.

Here are my notes:

30" f/4.3 reflector @ 252, 364 and 468x

Phenomenal!! – Looks like the Hubble picture! The Mice!

The two very bright 2:1 elongated halos are equally bright with significantly brighter cores. Both are about 30” long. The position angle of NGC 4676A is 0 degrees and 4676B is 45 degrees. NGC 4676A is about 40” NW of 4676B.
The “Ray” starting at the north edge and pointing north of NGC 4676A is easily visible as an even surface brightness spike of about 1.4’ long. The last 40” of the spike is a little thicker than the rest of it. A 16th magnitude star is just west of the tip of the spike.
The hook from NGC 4676B is barely visible with averted vision. It starts on the SE edge of 4676B and hooking counterclockwise to the SE, ending to the SW. About 50” long.

30" at 364x
Arp242-364x-132-30inch.jpg

[reiner]

Hi Uwe,

great Object of the week. I haven't observed this pair for some time, so my notes are from a few years ago:

With my 22" Dob, the tidal streamer to the North is not particularly difficult and extends over roughly twice the diameter of the northern component. At the opposite side, there is as well an extremely faint brightening. This is presumably the inner arm of the southern galaxy.

Therefore, from position and extent of the southern extension, I have likely not seen the very faint southern tail, but the brightening in the southern part of the halo of the B galaxy, presumably a spiral arm or another closer and brighter tidal stream.