NGC 3109

 IRREGULAR GALAXY IN HYDRA (THE WATER SNAKE)  

(Image centered at: ra 10 h:03 m / dec - 26º 09')

April 2022, Sarandi, Gualeguayachu, Entre Rios, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: GALAXY

APPARENT DIAMETER: 19 x 3,7 arc minutes

VISUAL BRIGHTNESS: 10,4 magnitude

DISTANCE: 4,3 Million light years 

IMAGE INFORMATION1

INSTRUMENT: 8" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Televue Paracorr working at at f5,75

CAMERA: QSI 583 WS

MOUNT: SKY WATCHER NEQ6, OAG with Starligh Xpress Lodestar

FILTERS: Baader LRGB Set

SKY CONDITIONS: rural skies - very humid night

EXPOSURES: LRGB (120,40,40,40)

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

NGC 3109 is a small barred Magellanic-type spiral or irregular galaxy. It is located in the constellation of Hydra at a distance of 4,3 Million years from Earth at the very outskirts of our Local Group.  NGC 3109 is oriented edge on from our perspective and, although is classified as a irregular galaxy, it might be a spiral type. NGC 3109 does not appear to posses a galactic nucleus. The disk seems to be composed of stars of all ages, where the outside halos shows old stars very poor in metal, same characteristic as the Small Magellanic Cloud. It is supposed NGC 3109 contains an unusually large number of planetary nebulae and also a substantial amount of dark matter.

NGC 3109 was discovered by English Mathematician and Astronomer John Herschel on March 24 of 1835 while he was in South Africa.