The Trio in Leo (2026) |
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 Click on thumbnails below to view larger image. Opens in a new window. |
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| I find myself repeatedly drawn to this engaging
group of galaxies over the years. Specifically, in 2005 from
our backyard in Ohio, 2011 from a remote site in New Mexico,
2025 from our backyard (with a guest "star", specifically an
asteroid). And yet once more, just barely, two of the galaxies
as they were visited by a comet (C/2025 K1 (ATLAS)) in late 2025. Here is my 2026 rendition of the Trio in Leo, this time shot from the dark skies of Starfront Observatories. The 2011 write-up best describes my impressions of this entertaining group of galaxies. Two versions are presented here: a cropped version showing the details of the galaxies up-close (at least as up-close as our current equipment allows) and full-field, showing the galaxies in a wider field of view, showing all the tiny background galaxies visible. Can you count them all? I haven't as of this writing (August 2026). Astrobin |
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| Constellation: Leo | ||
| When Visible: Feburary - July | ||
| Distance: 35 Million Light-years | ||
| Date: December 2025 - March 2026 | ||
| Location: Starfront Observatories, Rockwood, TX | ||
| Exposure Details: L: 118 x 3 Minutes binned 1x1 R: 107 x 3 Minutes binned 1x1 G: 109 x 3 Minutes binned 1x1 B: 102 x 3 Minutes binned 1x1 21.8 hours total exposure |
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| Equipment Used: Takahashi FSQ-106N on a ZWO AM5N mount. ZWO ASI-2600MM Pro camera with 7 x 50mm filter wheel and Antlia Pro filters. Externally guided with a ZWO ASI224MC camera on a William Optics UniGuide 50 guide scope. | ||
| Acquisition Software : Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy, PHD2 | ||
| Processing Software: MaximDL, PixInsight, Photoshop CS5, IrFanView | ||
