NGC 5395 (Arp 84)- The Heron

[Dragan]

NGC5395 & NGC 5394 (The Heron)
Arp 84
13 58 37
+37 25 31
VM = 12.1 & 13.7
Cvn - The Dogs

My first experience of this unique pair came on the night of Feb 12, 2010 using Jimi's 48". This is an object that truly lives up to its common name. Read below and see if you agree.

That particular night, Cvn was approaching zenith when Jimi suggested that we (which included him, myself, Jim Chandler and Alan Lippert) give it a look. He pulled Arp 84 up on Megastar and slewed Barbarella to the location. He placed his 10mm ZAOII into the focuser and each of us took our turn at the EP. At 488x we can see the uncanny resemblance of a bird, a heron to be precise, looking back at us. There was no mistaken it. It was the profile of a Heron. 5395 plays the part of the body where as 5394, a unique barred spiral in and of itself, plays the lanky neck, head and beak. If you look at the pics below, you'll see what I mean.

If you have never seen this object, be sure to add it to your list. It isn't particularly difficult but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at whats staring back at you!

29 30 31
(click thumbs to enlarge pics)

[Jimi Lowrey]

I remember that night Alan Lippert AKA Homeboy could not get enough of the heron.

[Dragan]

I remember that night Alan Lippert AKA Homeboy could not get enough of the heron.

No he couldn't! I think it was his favorite object of the week! or atleast in his top three.

[Spack]

What an exact form of a heron!

[Howard B]

37Hi Dragan,

I've only had one look at the 5395/5394 pair and even though I knew it was called the Heron I had a hard time seeing the likeness. The night was so-so for transparency and darkness (21.38 SQM) and as I was sketching it I remember thinking "this thing doesn't look much like a Heron!". That was only because I couldn't see the head and beak area with my 28 inch scope that night (using up to 408x) but hope to get a better look at it in the coming months. But even without the head and beak it's an interesting galaxy pair.

I've added the rough sketch I mentioned...

[Jimi Lowrey]

Howard,

Welcome I look forward to your post:)

[FaithJ]

I have a sketch of the Heron, made through your 48" in 2010, Jimi. Here it is:

36

[gdjsky01]

Faith that's an amazing drawing! Well done! Looks like you were just catching the elongated galaxy off the eastern(?) arm of 5394 and one of the smaller face on's to the north (?) (IC 4356?). Surprisingly, given the FOV the other face on should have been there or 'just' outside the FOV.

[FaithJ]

Thanks Jeff. :)

These are galaxies I want to catch from here at home. Obviously an 18" under English skies won't be anything near a 48" under West Texas skies(!) but it will be an interesting comparison all the same.

[starsend]

Jimi Lowrey, Jim Chandler and I viewd the Heron on the 82" at McDonald Obs. in July, 2007.
41mm Pan gave 696X, 6' fov.
Very hazy with tran. 5/10.
S-shape apparent.

[Uwe Glahn]

Dragan,

spectacular object. Your description and Faiths sketch shows very well what can be seen with large aperture.

For years I gave the pair a try with my 16". What I could see were the better defined edges and the beginnings of the S spiral of NGC 5394. What I could not detect were the connections of the spirals to the nucleus of NGC 5395 and the wider spirals of NGC 5394.

see sketch (http://www.deepsky-visuell.de/Zeichnungen/NGC5394_NGC5395.htm)

[Sue French]

Dragan,

I couldn't get the Heron shape with my 15-inch. The S-extensions of 5394 were missing. My 14.5-inch is a better scope. I should try it sometime, preferably while I'm someplace darker than home.
4 May 2008; 11:40 pm EDT; 368/1494mm Newtonian; Seeing: good; Transpareny: good.
35mm Panoptic: 5395 is a north-south spindle with a brighter center and a star off its southern tip. 5394 is a little smudge northwest of 5395's northern tip.
13mm Nagler: 5395 has a bright, elongated core that grows brighter toward the center. There is a faint star off its northern tip and about 3/4' east by north of 5394. 5394 is oval NE-SW with a brighter center, and there's a faint star about 1' south by west.
9mm Nagler: 5394 is roughly 25" x 20" and brightens toward a tiny, bright nucleus. 5395 has a faint arm starting at the galaxy's southern tip and reaching north along the western flank. The arm fades out more or less between the faint western star (1' SxW of 5394) and the galaxy's spindle. The north end of 5395 has a short hook that bends south along the galaxy's eastern flank. 5395 covers abot 2.5' x 1'.

Sue

[Jimi Lowrey]

Sue. WELCOME! to Deep Sky Forum. Its great to see you here. :)

[Dragan]

Dragan,

I couldn't get the Heron shape with my 15-inch. The S-extensions of 5394 were missing. My 14.5-inch is a better scope. I should try it sometime, preferably while I'm someplace darker than home.
4 May 2008; 11:40 pm EDT; 368/1494mm Newtonian; Seeing: good; Transpareny: good.
35mm Panoptic: 5395 is a north-south spindle with a brighter center and a star off its southern tip. 5394 is a little smudge northwest of 5395's northern tip.
13mm Nagler: 5395 has a bright, elongated core that grows brighter toward the center. There is a faint star off its northern tip and about 3/4' east by north of 5394. 5394 is oval NE-SW with a brighter center, and there's a faint star about 1' south by west.
9mm Nagler: 5394 is roughly 25" x 20" and brightens toward a tiny, bright nucleus. 5395 has a faint arm starting at the galaxy's southern tip and reaching north along the western flank. The arm fades out more or less between the faint western star (1' SxW of 5394) and the galaxy's spindle. The north end of 5395 has a short hook that bends south along the galaxy's eastern flank. 5395 covers abot 2.5' x 1'.

Sue

Hi Sue,

Thanks for your observing report. Your post brings up a good challenge for us.

What is the smallest scope that the heron shape becomes apparent?

And Sue, it goes with out saying. Welcome to DSF and thanks for posting! I know for fact that there are many of us here who look forward to your future contributions to our little group!

Welcome!

[Marko]

To chime in on the 18" range I observed this last night way up in Dobson's hole. Very good night. Slight bifurcation was seen averted in the NW side of the main Ngc5395 and the bulge in the neck (Ngc5394) was quite obvious. The bridge between the two galaxies was at my levels of detection where I could detect a nub heading south from Ngc5394 but could not see a full connect. The upper neck was beyond my ability but darn it if I did not try to see the tip of the beak, that may have been possible as it's brighter. The north going S pattern was only detected as elongation of Ngc5394. This all in SQM 21.55 with very good seeing and good transparency.