The Hamburger Galaxy... NGC 3628
(Click on Picture for larger view)

Added April 6, 2021 ...
I tried an experiment using the big Celestron 11" EdgHD telescope to get a close-up view of this galaxy. I was a bit disappointed in the results as I was not able to gather the fine details that I was seeking. Non-the-less, not too bad of a shot. This galaxy is viewed as edge-on is also known as the "Hamburger" Galaxy due to its shape, which is probably caused due to tidal forces from the two other nearby galaxies, M65 & M65 (see The Leo Triplet on April 5, 2021 taken with the EON 130mm Refractor). I am guessing there are about 300 billion stars in this galaxy. The three galaxies are gravitationally bound to each other and are about 35 million light-years from us. I took this image on the night of April 6, 2021, with a total image exposure time of 4hr 40mn. The Leo Triplet is high overhead at midnight in early April.

That Techy Stuff for those who want to know:
Telescope: Celestron 11" EdgeHD at f/10 ... Focal length: 2800mm
Mount: Celestron CGX
Camera: Altair Astro Hypercam 294c ... Sensor temp: -10°C
Binning: 2x2
Capture Software: N.I.N.A.
56 subframes @ 300sec each
Camera gain: 450 with the offset at 20
Calibration frames: Darks, Flats, and Dark-Flats

---

Return to Pat Prokop's Heavenly Backyard Astronomy Page