NGC 5981/2/5
The edge-on galaxy NGC 5981 (top), the elliptical galaxy NGC 5982 (middle) and the spiral galaxy NGC 5985 (bottom) form a distinct trio. It is not clear if or when these galaxies might merge with each other. But there is already evidence that NGC 5982 has already merged with one or more smaller galaxies in the recent past.
| Observatory: | Kitt Peak National Observatory Kitt Peak, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Telescope: | KPNO 4-Meter |
| Instrument: | Mosaic I |
| Astronomer: | T.A. Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage) and H. Schweiker (WIYN and NOAO/AURA/NSF) |
| Date of Observation: | 04-06-2010 |
| Filters and Assigned Colors: | B (blue), V (green), and I (red) |
| Exposure Times: | 5x14min in B, 5x11min in V, and 5x8min in I |
| Location of Image: | Draco |
| Field of View: | 14.0 x 20.7 arcming |
| Orientation: | North is left, East is down |
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| Link to Full Resolution Image | |
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