R.A.: 22 02 01.7 Dec.: -31 52 18 (NGC 7172 = HCG 90A)
Size: 2.5'x1.4', Magnitude: V 11.9
Piscis Austrinus
Alternate ID’s (for the triplet) KTS 66 = VV 698 = Klemola 34
It is a lot of fun the track down the 100 objects in the Hickson catalogue, and Hickson 90 yet another fun object. It is available to observe using telescopes both large and small.
Here is a labeled screenshot from Megastar with a RealSky overlay…
megastar HGC 90.jpg
There are several challenging galaxies in the area, give them a go, too!
The Big Dog in this group is NGC 7172. It is clearly the largest galaxy in the group, and the only one with any discernable structure in my own experience, and that only being a much brighter core.
The other 3 galaxies in the group, NGC 7173, NGC 7174 and NGC 7176 are also catalogued as KTS 66A, B and C, with the KTS being the “Karachentseva Southern Isolated Triplets of Galaxies”. They are in a small tight group, with 2 of them being in contact. All are fairly easy to see.
There is, however, a fly in the ointment regarding my picture. Megastar is a very old program and got its data from the RNGC, but the RNGC had it wrong, and in Steve Gottlieb’s own words… “The RNGC reverses the identifications of NGC 7173 and 7174, making NGC 7173 and 7176 the contact pair. This misidentification is listed in my RNGC Corrections #1”
As usual, I check Steve’s NGC and IC notes because I often learn something I did not previously know. Thanks, Steve!
As always, give it a go and let us know.
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