Arp271
Galaxy in Virgo
About
NGC 5426 and NGC 5427, a pair of similar spiral galaxies in Virgo about 130 million light-years away, already linked by a bridge of stars. Together they span roughly 130,000 light-years. William Herschel first observed them in 1785, and Arp listed them among galaxies with connected arms.
Imaging tips
- Only a few arcminutes across, so it is too small to frame: use a long focal length and a fine pixel scale.
- Faint at 23.1 mag/arcsec², and galaxies need broadband, so plan many hours of data.
- One imager's LRGB total was 3 h 50 min, with 2 h 30 min of luminance, in a field 39.1′ across that held both galaxies.
- Best around April and May; it peaks near 34° altitude from 50°N.
Facts
- Size
- 3′ × 2′
- Magnitude
- 12.5
- Coordinates
- RA 14h 3.4m, Dec −6° 3′
- Framing, APS-C
- longer than 4000 mm
- Framing, full frame
- longer than 4000 mm
- Best months
- Apr, May
- Peak altitude
- 34° from 50°N, 49° from 35°N