NGC 4314 (upper left) is a barred spiral galaxy that lies about 40 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Coma Berenices. It is receding from us at approximately 963 kilometers per second. This galaxy has a bar running through it with a spiral arm attached at each end. It is a remarkably smooth galaxy, with not much star formation, a condition probably brought on by a collision with another galaxy. Collisions strip the galaxies of almost all their gas and dust, leaving them mostly unable to form new stars. However, what looks like another little spiral galaxy right in the center of NGC 4314 – complete with dust lanes and spiral arms – is actually a “nuclear starburst ring” with a radius of about 1,000 light-years of recently formed stars. Center right in the image is NGC 4274. This galaxy is about 45 million light-years away. The barred spiral galaxy was discovered in 1785 by William Herschel. Just below NGC 4274 are three galaxies in a row. Dwarf galaxy NGC 4286 is in the upper left of the chain followed by elliptical galaxy NGC 4283. The bright elliptical galaxy NGC 4278 is in the lower right of the chain.
NGC 4314, NGC 4274 and friends
Telescope: 16″ f3.75 Dream Scope
Camera: FLI ML16803
Mount: ASA DDM85
Exposure: 5.5 hours (30x300s L + 3x12x300s RGB)
Date: March 2020
Location: Southern Alps, France
Bart Delsaert - Astrophotography 