NGC 3521 (2023)

This is my version of NGC 3521, a very cool looking spiral galaxy in Leo. I decided to go after this object like I choose most of my objects and that is searching Stellarium. It is a decent size which was important since I was using the AT115 refractor rather than the Edge800. It is 35 million light-years away and 50,000 light-years across. It is quite colorful with pink star-forming regions as well as blue clusters. I was very surprised with the flocculent nature surrounding the core as well as some of the other finer structures in the arms. The other unusual feature of NGC 3521 is that it sits inside fainter bubble-like shells. These shells are believed to be tidal debris from satellite galaxies that have merged with NGC 3521 long ago.

I did crop this image to get a closer view but not too far as I really like the colorful starfield. The better shaped stars are the benefit of the refractor over the SCT but of course you lose out in focal length. Several small galaxies can be spied on in the background as well which is another reason for not cropping too much.

NGC 3521 (2023)
Dates: 4-12-23, 4-13, 4-17, 4-20, 4-21, 4-24, 4-25
Camera: ZWO ASI1600MM-Pro
Telescope: Astro-Tech AT115EDT 115mm Refractor Telescope
Barlow: None
Focal Length: 805mm (644mm w/ FR)
f/7
Focal Reducer: 0.8x AstroTech Field Flatterner/Focal Reducer
Mount: Orion Sirius
Filter Wheel: ZWO
EFW 8 x 1.25"
Filter: None, ZWO R, G, B
Focuser: ZWO EAF
Autoguiding: ASI120 Mini attached to an Agena 50mm Guide Scope/ZWO 60mm Guidescope
Exposure: None 132 x 90, R 94 x 90, G 82 x 90, B 72 x 90
Gain: 139
Offset 20
Sensor Temp: 0 C
Processing: NINA, PixInsight, Photoshop, BlurXTerminator, StarXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, Bill Blanshan Masks.

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