DescriptionImages

Object name: ARP174

Designation(s): ARP174,

Arp 174 is a pair of galaxies with a large tidal plume. It is also known as NGC 3068 and is located about 300 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo. Arp classifies it under Galaxies (not classifiable as S or E): Narrow counter-tails. Why this plume is a counter tail and others aren't I'm not sure. It's hard to say if the plume comes from the small companion or the larger one and by perspective passes over or behind the smaller galaxy. There is a faint connection between the two. If they come from the small companion then yes, it could be a counter tail assuming the connection between them also comes from the smaller galaxy. Arp's only comment on the pair is: "Smaller galaxy very condensed." NGC 3068 (northern part) was discovered by William Herschel on March 12, 1785 but isn't in either Herschel 400 observing programs.

The NGC Project considers NGC 3068 to only be the larger galaxy but NED applies the name to both. The smaller one is also known as LEDA 087670. It is classed simply as an elliptical galaxy. The larger one is classed as S0 pec. To me, it appears the source of the plume as it has other obvious tidal features all about it.

The galaxy directly east of the bottom end of the plume is 2MASX J09584551+2848466 at about 1 billion light-years. Directly east of it is an orange star, about the same distance east and a bit more brings you to a rather white star with a fainter one above it. The brighter one is actually quasar SDSS J095854.99+284858.4 at 9.9 billion light-years. Up and a bit left of Arp 174 is a small arc of golden near starlike galaxies along with a bunch of fainter ones in the background. The middle one is brightest. It is SDSS J095849.29+285615.4, a 20.2 magnitude galaxy some 3.7 billion light-years away.

There is one asteroid in the upper left quadrant. It is (193683) 2001 EO14 with a predicted magnitude of 18.3.

SDSS image:
http://astronomerica.awardspace.com/SDSS-20/NGC3068A.php

Arp's image:
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Arp/Figures/big_arp174.jpeg

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