10-inch Newtonian, StarlightXpress MX716, 28 minutes
Arp 214 (NGC 3718)
10-inch Newtonian, StarlightXpress MX716, 28
minutes
Arp 214 is the last member of the class Irregularities, Absorption, and Resolution. The Atlas notes are longer than normal, saying "barred spiral, sharp nucleus, narrow absorption lanes through center". This is another two Arp field, with the group of small galaxies at the bottom making up Arp 322. Arp 214 is both strange and beautiful. It is also a particularly difficult object to image really well. This is my third attempt at it, over a period of several years, and it still isn't good enough. It really takes a couple of hours of exposure in perfect conditions to do it justice.
