- B70 minutes (14 frames)
- G130 minutes (26 frames)
- R140 minutes (28 frames)
- L115 minutes (23 frames)
NGC 1961 (also known as IC 2133) is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Camelopardalis. It was discovered by William Herschel on December 3, 1788 and is located approximately 200 million light-years from Earth. This cosmic object has a diameter of about 220,000 light-years, which is more than twice the size of our Milky Way. It is important to note that despite its size, the galaxy has an irregular shape, which may be due to various processes in its evolution.
Structure and features
Despite the irregular shape, researchers have not found other galaxies near NGC 1961 that could affect its shape, and there are no signs of a double galactic nucleus, which is usually observed when two galaxies merge. The outer regions of the galaxy have outsized spiral arms that are noticeably elongated, especially on the northern side.
The galaxy is surrounded by a luminous X-ray corona, indicating active processes in its central part. This also confirms the classification of NGC 1961 as an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The cores of such galaxies often contain supermassive black holes, which generate bright outflows and winds that contribute to their evolution.
Characteristics and group of galaxies
NGC 1961 is the central member of a small group of galaxies known as the NGC 1961 group, which includes nine galaxies. Over the past 20 years, this galaxy has experienced four supernova explosions, indicating high star formation activity. These explosions highlight the importance of studying such objects to understand the processes occurring in galaxies.
The galaxy is classified as an interference spiral (between normal spirals and bar galaxies) and actively emits energy at certain wavelengths, confirming its status as an AGN. NGC 1961 can be seen as a bright spot in the background of a nebula of young stellar population that gives the galaxy its characteristic appearance.
Astronomical observations
A new image obtained with the Hubble telescope shows the beautiful spiral arms of the galaxy, bright blue regions containing young stars, and dusty regions that form bizarre patterns around the center of the galaxy.
So, NGC 1961 is not only one of the interesting objects for astronomical observations, but also an important element for the study of galactic evolution, due to its structure, size and active star formation.
| Photo | Date | Frames | Exposure | L | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 11 Oct 2021 | 91 | 07:35 | 01:55 | 02:20 | 02:10 | 01:10 |
Visibility chart of Spiral Galaxy NGC 1961 during the day
| Date | Moon Phase | Exposure | CCD Temperature | Gain | Offset | Filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- 2023ixf•
- 40 Eri•
- Abell 74•
- Artemis A868 SA•
- a Canis Minoris•
- C 2020 R4 ATLAS•
- C 2020 T2 Palomar•
- C 2021 S3 (PANSTARRS)•
- Haumea (2003 EL61)•
- HCG 68•
- HCG 92•
- IC 1318B•
- IC 1396•
- IC 1795•
- IC 1805•
- IC 1848•
- IC 1871•
- IC 3322A•
- IC 342•
- IC 4015•
- IC 405•
- IC 417•
- IC 434•
- IC 443•
- IC 4703•
- IC 5070•
- IC 5146•
- IC 63•
- M 1•
- M 101•
- M 103•
- M 109•
- M 13•
- M 15•
- M 27•
- M 3•
- M 33•
- M 42•
- M 45•
- M 5•
- M 51•
- M 57•
- M 63•
- M 64•
- M 74•
- M 76•
- M 81•
- M 82•
- M 86•
- M 87•
- M 94•
- M 97•
- NGC 147•
- NGC 1491•
- NGC 1499•
- NGC 1579•
- NGC 1961•
- NGC 2146•
- NGC 2239•
- NGC 2403•
- NGC 281•
- NGC 4236•
- NGC 4565•
- NGC 4631•
- NGC 507•
- NGC 508•
- NGC 5866•
- NGC 5907•
- NGC 6503•
- NGC 6823•
- NGC 6888•
- NGC 6946•
- NGC 6992•
- NGC 6995•
- NGC 7000•
- NGC 7023•
- NGC 7129•
- NGC 7217•
- NGC 7331•
- NGC 7380•
- NGC 7538•
- NGC 7635•
- NGC 7640•
- NGC 7822•
- NGC 891•
- NGC 896•
- NGC 925•
- PGC 54559•
- Sh2-155•
- Sh2-168•
- Sh2 103•
- Sh2 109•
- Sh2 132•
- T CrB•
- UGC 6930•
- V1405 Cas•
- Vesta A807 FA•