NGC 1398

Capture Credit: El Sauce Observatory, Chile
Processing by Kyle Ingersoll

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Target Details

With a diameter of 135,000 light years, NGC 1398 is a massive barred spiral galaxy. This galaxy resides roughly 61.8 million light-years behind the constellation Fornax, and was discovered in December 1868 by the German astronomer Friedrich Winnecke.

Barred spiral galaxies have a distinctive bar running across their centres, which contain active nuclei and high levels of star birth. These phenomena are believed to be temporary, but recent studies have confirmed that bars are more commonly found in mature galaxies. Our own Milky Way, in fact, has a bar!

Wait, what exactly is a galaxy in the first place? Well, they are essentially the largest “building blocks” of the universe. They contain everything that is smaller than them, from nebulae to stars, planets, moons, comets—you name it, it likely resides within a galaxy.

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Capture Details

This image represents 11.167 hours total exposure on target, through 4 individual filters as follows:

34 x 5 minute Luminance subs
34 x 5 minute Red subs
33 x 5 minute Green subs
33 x 5 minute Blue subs

All light frames were captured at a scale of 0.39”/pixel, and with the camera sensor cooled to -15°celsius to reduce noise. Full capture credit belongs to El Sauce Observatory, residing at a whopping altitude of 1525 metres above sea level.


Equipment Details

  • Name: El Sauce Observatory
    Location: Río Hurtado, Coquimbo Region, Chile
    Coordinates: 30.472529° S, 70.762999° W
    Elevation: 1525m

  • PlaneWave CDK24 (3962mm focal length)
    Corrected Dall Kirkham reflector telescope
    Astrodon LRGB filter set

  • Mathis MI-1000/1250 mount with absolute encoders

  • QHY 600M monochrome CMOS astronomy camera

  • TelescopeLive
    PixInsight