Shot on 11 Oct 2021NGC 1961
Spiral Galaxy NGC 1961
- Right ascension
- 5ʰ 50ᵐ 55ˢ
- Declination
- +56° 43′
- Constellation
- Camelopardalis
- Tonight
- Never sets
- yes, circumpolar
- total exposure
- 7 h 35 min
- frames in the FITS archive
- 91
- imaging nights
- 2
- imaging period: 6–7 Oct
- 2021
Visibility and signal
Exposure by filter
- L1 h 55 min · 23 frames
- R2 h 20 min · 28 frames
- G2 h 10 min · 26 frames
- B1 h 10 min · 14 frames
Share of each filter in the total exposure
- Narrowband filters
- 0%needs a dark sky
- Typical frame
- 300 s91 frames in total
- In one night
- 3 h 48 minaveraged over 2 nights
Altitude above the horizon tonight
Observing log2 nights · 91 frames
Photos of the objectEach photo is a separate processing; parameters and equipment are on the photo page
About the object
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.