Object of the Week February 3, 2013 ARP 243 (NGC2623)- A high Speed Collision !

[Jimi Lowrey]

ARP 243 NGC 2623

Cancer

RA
08 38 24
DEC
+25 45 01

MAG 13.9

Type Pec (Liner) LIRG

Dr Arp classified ARP 243 AKA NGC2623 in his Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies as "Galaxies with the appearance of fission". This is what a high speed head on galaxy collision in the late stage of merging looks like. Arp 243 is so bright in infrared that it is in an unusual class of galaxies called LIRG (Luminous infrared galaxy). In the tidal tails there are hundreds of star forming regions that have been charted. Arp 243 is 250 MLY away and when I look at images of it I always expect to hear a loud crashing noise. :D

Arp Atlas image
458

My brief notes with my old 25" reflector on Arp 243 say, ARP 243 small very bright mottled core with faint arms that grow with averted vision. Looks like a lawn sprinkler. "Very Cool"

Hubble image
459

I wonder what is the smallest aperture that can see the tidal tails in Arp 243 be sure to,

"GIVE IT A GO AND LET US KNOW"

GOOD LUCK AND GREAT VIEWING!

[Jimi Lowrey]

Jerry Morris and I revisited this galactic crash last night with good transparency and fair seeing. At 488X it is fairly small and a little brighter on the North side. Both tidal tails were seen with direct vision. The core had a mottled look. Jerry also thought that it looked like a lawn sprinkler.