Peculiar Galaxies in the Autumn Sky
New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars: NGC 7331 / 7317-20
Constellation: Pegasus


This is a region in the constellation Pegasus which hosts quite a few peculiar galaxies. In the upper left you see the prominent galaxy NGC 7331. The galaxy was discovered by William Herschel and shows a very specific behaviour only detectible by specialized professionals. The inner bulge of the galaxy rotates in the opposite orientation compared to the rest of the galaxy. The galaxy's distance is about 50 milion light years and therefore similar to the distance of the virgo cluster.

The other interesting object in the field of view is the peculiar object to the lower right also known as "Stephan's Quintet" named after the french astronomer Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan. The interaction between four of the five galaxies some 300 milion light years away produces a tidal jet to the left.

The exposure time was nearly 5 hours.


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