NGC 5371

Technical data:Acquisition date: 24 April 2019Exposure: RGB 56x3min -10CTotal exposure: 2,8 hoursTelescope: Omegon 8" F4 AstrographMount: AZ-EQ6Camera: ZWO ASI294 MC ProGuide: TS 60mm scope & T7 cameraControl: EQMOD, Stelarium, APTool, PHD2Processing: PixInsight

The biggest galaxy in the picture, NGC5371 is a face on spiral galaxy at around 100 million light years from us in in Canes Venatici. It has a barred spiral structure, white-hot central core and beautiful blue sweeping spiral arms.

Around the big star lies the 68th entry of Paul Hickson's catalog of compact galaxy groups consisting of a quintet of galaxies (NGC objects, numbers 5353, 5354, 5350, 5358, 5355). The lenticular galaxies NGC 5353 and NGC 5354 (the two big blobs near the star) appear to be interacting and show distortions arising from this interaction. Near the two lies also a very similar to 5371, but smaller galaxy, NGC5350. The group appears to be at a distance of about 100 million light years and appears to lie on a filament of galaxies connecting the Coma cluster to the Virgo cluster. Interestingly, on a closer inspection the background is full of tiny galaxies.

NGC 5371 together with Hickson Galaxy Group 68 makes up the <funny name> Big Lick Galaxy Group.