DescriptionImages

Object name: UGC10168

Designation(s): UGC10168, UGC10150,

UGC 10168 is a nice ring galaxy in northwest Hercules about 280 million light-years away. NED classifies it as (R)SAB0/a. It is part of a group of 6 others in my image that range from 280 to 330 million light-years away. The two at 330 million light-years are a close pair with a third galaxy of unknown distance.

I am rather confused by the southwest one which is 2MFG 12903, an irregular flat galaxy. What confuses me is the position NED lists for it. It is midway between the obvious flat galaxy and the small galaxy off its western edge. The pair with known distances form the galaxy pair CGCG 250-044 with the flat galaxy and its apparent companion known as CGCG 250-044 NED01 at the same position as the flat galaxy's well off center position. Yet the description is just that of the flat galaxy. Apparently, someone picked up the position of this close pair as a unit and applied it to the individual flat galaxy. Others just copied this error?

The image contains an unusual number of quasars, 11 of them though 8 are still considered quasar candidates that appears a formality. Their distances are still somewhat uncertain having been determined from filtered photographic data rather than the spectroscope. These quasar candidates are labeled UvES for Ultraviolet Excess Source a trait of very hot quasars.

Thanks to clouds I was clouded out in my first attempt. All color data was lost on the first try. I redid the color on another night. I later found one of the red frames from the first night was usable so I have a bit more red data than usual.

14" LX200R @ f/10, L=4x10' R=3x10' GB=2x10', STL-11000XM, Paramount ME