Elliptical galaxy NGC 3379=M105 and companion
The bright elliptical galaxy NGC 3379 (M105) in Leo,
from a 5-minute blue-light exposure with a
Tektronix 2048x2048
CCD at the 2.1-meter telescope of
Kitt Peak
National Observatory by Bill Keel and Lisa Frattare. North is
at the top and east to the left,
for direct comparison with a chart or eyepiece view.
The image has been block-averaged by a factor of two for
this presentation (and another factor of two as shown above),
which uses a logarithmic intensity transformation to
preserve information across a wide dynamic range. The field is 9.1 arcminutes
square.
NGC 3379 is a well-observed galaxy, long used as a standard
reference object for surface photometry. This image includes its
S0 companion NGC 3384 (also confusingly called NGC 3371), and a
third member of the group, the spiral NGC 3389, wouldn't fit.
Recent observations of planetary-nebula dynamics have given the
intriguing result that NGC 3379 is deficient in dark matter compared to
most galaxies of its luminosity.
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Last changes: 7/2003 © 2001-3