Stephan's Quintet -
Colliding Galaxies
Stephen's Quintet was
discovered by Edouard Stephan in 1877 and is the first compact
group of galaxies ever discovered. Also known as the
Hickson Compact Group 92, the five member galaxies that form
this group of galaxies are in the process of merging.
NGC 7317 (right), 7318a (right most of tangled pair), 7318b
(left most of tangled pair), 7319 (top left of center), and
7320c (far left) are all visible in this image and are about 290
million light years away. The light entering the telescope
for this image is therefore 290 million years old.
NGC 7320 also visible is the bluish galaxy below the center of
the image and is actually a foreground galaxy about one eighth
the distance to the other five. Over the next few
hundred million years, the five galaxies will likely form one
single massive galaxy several times the size of our own milky
way galaxy.
| Optics: |
RC Optical System 20" F/8.2 (4165.6 mm Focal Length) |
Date: |
October 2011 |
| Camera: |
SBIG ST10XME with Adaptive Optics |
Location: |
Columbus, Texas |
| Exposure: |
LRGB = 400:90:90:110 minutes |
Imager: |
Kent E. Biggs |
