Object of the Week February 14, 2016 - NGC 2329 and the Abell 569 Cluster of Galaxies
This week’s OOTW is guest authored by Deep Sky Forum member Mark Stuart. Mark observes from near Bristol in the UK and is a member of the Bristol Astronomy Society. His primary instrument these days is a 16-inch Meade Lightbridge. A long time deep sky observer, Mark’s passion is the visual observing of galaxies. He has observed over a 1000 galaxies and he continues to add to his list at every opportunity. He maintains a list of these galaxies on his web site at www.bristolweather.org.uk/galaxies/Deep_sky_galaxy_list.html .
NGC 2329, MCG 8-13-73, UGC 3695, PGC 20254
Type: Elliptical Galaxy
Class: E-S0
Constellation: Lynx
RA: 07h 09m 0.8
Dec: +48’ 36”
Size: 1.3' x 1.1'
Magnitude: 12.7
ACO 569
Type: Galaxy Cluster
Constellation: Lynx
RA: 07h 09m 12s
Dec: +48’ 37”
Size: 56’
Lynx is not one of those constellations that gets a lot of attention. Most people know of the bright spiral NGC 2683 and the distant globular NGC 2419 but that’s about it. When you look towards Lynx you are looking out in to deep space above the Perseus arm of our spiral galaxy. It is well placed for viewing from the Northern hemisphere from early Winter to early Summer.
ngc 2329 deep sky survey.jpg
Deep Sky Survey of the AGO 569 Centered on NGC 2329
At first sign NGC 2329 looks like a pretty normal elliptical galaxy but it is a special one. It is a massive elliptical giant spewing out jets of gas and x-rays and the like. It anchors the relatively unknown galaxy cluster Abell 569 which lies at a distance of 250 million light years away. Abell 569 is a large cluster, over 100 million light years across which contains 85 galaxies listed here on Simbad.
This cluster is apparently connected with the Pisces Perseus wall of galaxies. Here is the cluster plot which gives you some sense of the cluster.
569.gif
I discovered NGC 2329 for the first time on the 23rd December 2011 with my 10-inch Skywatcher Dob. I noted it as a very small round faint galaxy which required averted vision to spot. At the time I did not realize how special it was.
I went back to the area on the 7th January 2016 with my 16 inch Meade to have a look at UGC 3696. It was a small oval galaxy but did require averted vision to spot. NGC 2329 was in the same field of view. Here is my original observation.
IMAG1170.jpg
After discovering UGC 3696 and NGC 2329 were both members of Abell 569, I looked back to see if I had seen any other group members. It turns out I had observed NGC 2320 / NGC 2322 / NGC 2340 and MCG 8-13-61.
So have a look again at this area next time you are out and see how many members of the group you can see.
Give it a go and let us know!
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