Object of the Week September 30, 2012 UGC 12914 and UGC 12915 (Taffy Galaxies)

[Jimi Lowrey]

UGC 12914

UGC 12915

Taffy galaxies

Pegasus

Mag 13.1 P

Type (R) S (r) cD pec liner

This interacting pair look great in most all scopes and at 196 million light year away are fairly bright. The pair have been interacting for 20 million years and one day will merge into one galaxy system. What gives the interacting pair its name is a bridge of hydrogen gas between the two galaxies that looks like stretched taffy. The system has 94 references in NED and is very well studied if you would like to know more about this beautiful pair. For me this one of those objects that I often return to year after year. I do not seem to get enough of this beautiful pair. Hope you will try this pair and let us know what you think of this interaction.

taffy-galaxies.jpg

"GIVE IT A GO AND LET US KNOW"

GOOD LUCK AND GREAT VIEWING!

[Uwe Glahn]

With 27" a very detailed object. Most fascinating structure is the hook of the NE galaxy UGC 12915. Although I could not see the bridge between both galaxies, the fainter structure along UGC 12914 could been picked up.

27", 366x, NELM 7m+
UGC12914_UGC12915.jpg

[FaintFuzzies]

Nice object Jimi.

Here is my recent observation:
UGC 12914/15 (Taffy Galaxies)

22” f/4 (230, 255 and 383x) – This pair of interacting galaxies shows interesting structure. The northwest end is almost connecting.

UGC 12914 (00 01 37.9 +23 29 05 2.3x1.2’ 13.1p) – Bright 3:1 elongated center part surrounded by a very faint 2:1 elongated halo. The brighter part has a stellar core and a very small bright extension on the NE tip. Overall it is 1.6x1.2 across with the brighter part being 1.0x0.4’ across. PA = 135.

UGC 12915 (00 01 42.2 +23 29 42 1.5x0.6’ 13.9p) – Considerably bright 3:1 elongated glow with a bright compact round center. There is a small extension on the NE tip that is slightly curved towards UGC 12914. PA = 120 and 1.0’ long.


It is also on my site here. http://www.faintfuzzies.com/OR-Oct222011-SR.html Fourth one down.

[Steve Gottlieb]

Great selection, Jimi. By the way, this interesting pair was first listed I believe in the 1959 V-V (Vorontsov-Velyaminov) "Atlas and Catalogue of Interacting Galaxies" as VV 254.

Here's another observation made just two weeks ago at the Calstar star party with my 24"

UGC 12914 - the brighter member of the "Taffy" Galaxies appeared moderately bright, very elongated 3:1 NNW-SSE, 1.0'x0.3', broad concentration with a brighter core. An extension (spiral arm) is attached on the NNW end and hooks towards UGC 12915, which is centered 1.0' NE. The arm increases the total size to ~1.6'x0.8' (roughly 2:1). UGC 14 lies 32' SE.

UGC 12915 - the fainter member of the Taffy Galaxies appeared fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 5:2 NW-SE, 1.0'x0.4', broad concentration. At the NW end is a short, faint extension or arm that extends further west, so the galaxy does not have a symmetric appearance.

[Marko]

Found it! Have found this shared view (thanks Steve) on my Friday recording 1. This is a really nice pair and it is surprising how bright a UGC pair can be. Looks even better in Steve's nice new scope!

[KidOrion]

Is this one visible with a humble 13" under Bortle 2 skies, maybe?

[Bill Weir]

Is this one visible with a humble 13" under Bortle 2 skies, maybe?

Oh sure, just remember to not be shy with magnification. You will be amazed at how much outside the NGC catalogue you can go with a 13" scope.

Bill

[Pawel_T]

Well, I found them too, with my 18" under 6.1 mag foggy skies. Very nice view at 200x and 286x, two almost paralell galaxies inside a nice triangle of stars. The UGC 12914 looked elongated, considerably thicker and brighter in the middle, with faint outer part. The 12915 looked similarily elongated (1:3), with even surface brightness. No chance to see them connect with my aperture and under my Bortle 4 skies...
They're beautiful and - if it hadn't been for this great forum - I wouldn't know they existed at all :-)
Thanks for the hint!

[Jimi Lowrey]

Glad you got to see it Pawel_T. I have often wondered why it was not in the NGC catalog as bright as it is.

[RolandosCY]

Had a go last night, from our moderately dark site at Mazotos Beach, Larnaca. This is a strange site as it has an extremely dark southern half of the sky (average SQM 21.05, nothing bright until the coast of Egypt!), but the northern half becomes progressively brighter as it is towards Larnaca (60,000 people) and a very busy international airport (SQM 20.3 around 60 degrees up, 19.0 towards the horizon). The Taffy 1 pair were almost at the zenith, the SQM readings were constant at 20.96. I located them easily but could not separate the (quite faint) components at 67x (with Nagler 31). At 158x obtained with the Ethos 13mm I could tell there were two components but they kept merging into each other. Best view came with my TV Nagler 7mm which gave me 294x. I could hold steadily the two components. UGC 12914 was brighter and bigger, with a well defined nuclear region. UGC 12915 was slimmer, fainter, without any distinct central brightening. They seem to "converge" towards the NE, but could not really see them connected. Also, I couldn't se the "hooks" described by fellow observers above, though I believe they might be possible under darker / clearer skies. I prepared a sketch of what i saw last night, I hope to have a better view from darker skies on Friday or Saturday...
TaffyIa1.jpg

[mdstuart]

Evening

Had a go at this pair tonight in my 16 inch scope (Grab and go dob by the standard of the monster scopes you guys have!).

I managed to pick up the brighter UGC12914 with averted vision without too much trouble but just could not confirm sighting of UGC 12915.

However loved finding out about this pair so thanks for sharing.

Regards

Mark