This is an image of Arp 273, a pair of interacting galaxies 300M light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. The target became "famous" after being imaged by the Hubble Team, who referred to it as a "rose" made of galaxies. It was first described in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, compiled by Halton Arp in 1966.? The larger of the spiral galaxies, known as UGC 1810, is about five times more massive than the smaller galaxy. It has a disc that is tidally distorted into a rose-like shape by the gravitational pull of the companion galaxy below it, known as UGC 1813. The smaller galaxy shows distinct signs of active star formation at its nucleus, and it is thought that the smaller galaxy has actually passed through the larger one [Ref: Wikipedia].? The image was captured during 5 nights in November-December 2023 from SkyPi Remote Observatory using a 12.5" PlaneWave scope and a QSI-640ws camera at f/8.? LRGB integration covered 16.5 hours
Thanks for looking and Happy New Year,
Bruce W
