NGC 4945 - The Tweezers Galaxy

Technical data:Acquisition date: 24 February 2019Exposure: RGB 93x3min -10CTotal exposure: 4,6 hoursTelescope: Orion UK CT8Mount: AZ-EQ6Camera: ZWO ASI294 MC ProGuide: TS 60mm scope & T7 cameraControl: EQMOD, Stelarium, APTool, PHD2Processing: PixInsight.

This galaxy blew my mind, I was somehow reluctant to photograph it at first mostly because I prefer more difficult targets. It’s called The Tweezers Galaxy (NGC4945) and sits in the constellation Centaurus at about 13 million light years from us (relatively close). The galaxy was discovered in Australia by a Scottish astronomer named James Dunlop.

Although difficult to see in my picture the center of the galaxy sparks with dust lanes, a clear evidence showing that it hosts a massive black hole at its core. The two bright blue stars, the red prominent dust lanes and the blue halo around the galaxy makes this a truly beautiful image.

This picture is my second Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) which was selected by the Apod GrAG team for 24 of March 2020.

My special thanks to @insta_grag for selecting my image for this award.

Link to the APOD: https://apod.grag.org/2020/03/24/ngc-4945-the-tweezers-galaxy/