Arp 84

Interacting Galaxies
NGC 5395 aka Arp 84, PGC 49747, MCG 6-31-34, Uppsala 8900

NGC 5394 aka PGC 49739, MCG 6-31-33, Uppsala 8898
RA: 13h58m38.0s, Dec: +37°25'28" (2000) in Canes Venatici
Integrated Visual Magnitudes: 12.1 + 13.8
Sizes: 2.6'x 1.4' + 1.9'x 1.0'

Mean Surface Br.: 22.1 + 23.2 Mag/arc-secē

Light Travel Time: 0.2 Gyr

Minimum requirements to detect: 6-inch under dark skies

This is an often overlooked pair of interacting galaxies in Canes Venatici.  In the eyepiece these two galaxies form a sort of arc or crescent, with brighter ends.  Perhaps best known as Arp 84, NGC 5395 is a nearly face-on spiral galaxy that shows heavy distortion due to interaction with its nearby companion.  The companion, NGC 5294, is another face-on spiral.

 

In my 18-inch f/4.5 at 250x the brighter of the pair (NGC 5395) appears as an elongated spiral galaxy with a brighter, elongated central region.  This region appeared to "sparkle" as if there were detail at the edge of resolvability.  NGC 5394 is a smaller elongated haze with a nearly stellar central core.  The distinctive spiral arm pattern seen in images was not apparent. 


 

The field in an 6-inch f/8 at 50x.  North is down and east is to the right.
Millennium Star Atlas Vol II Chart 628
Sky Atlas 2000 Chart 7
Uranometria 2000 Vol I Chart 110
Uranometria 2nd Ed. Chart 53
Herald-Bobroff Astroatlas B-09 C-29

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