Description
NGC 7479 (also known commonly as the Superman or Propeller Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy about 110 million light years away in the constellation of Pegasus. The galaxy was first discovered by William Herschel in 1784.
NGC 7479 has tightly wound arms in the shape of an inverted ‘S’, leading to its nickname of “Superman” or “Propeller” Galaxy. The arms spin in an anticlockwise direction. However, when observed at radio wavelengths, the galaxy exhibits a jet of radiation bending and spinning in the opposite direction! It is theorized that the behavior of the radio jet is a result of collision and merger with another galaxy.
This theory is consistent with the the ongoing starburst activity. Star formation can be reignited by galactic collisions and there are indeed many bright, young stars visible in the galaxy’s spiral arms and disc. This is not obvious in the image taken above, but Hubble images reveal many of them.
Acquisition
This is my first serious attempt at imaging a galaxy from the White Zone in LRGB. Broadband filters let through plenty of light pollution resulting in terrible sky gradients and background noise. Thus, I had to acquire and integrate more sub-frames to combat the noise. Total integration time was 3.7 hours.
Adding more sub-frames improves the signal to noise ratio until a point where there are diminishing returns (noise is reduced by a factor of square root of the number of sub-frames). I will have to image from a darker location for better signal to noise ratio!
Reflections – God as Sustainer
I believe that God is constantly creating and that he breathes life into all creation.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Acts 17:24,25 – NIV
Michael Hoskin writes that “God has what we might term a servicing contract with his creation”. (From “Gravity and Light in the Newtonian Universe of Stars”). He also writes that Isaac Newton saw “regular interventions [in maintaining order] by God as one way in which God reveals to mankind his care for his creation”.
I find it remarkable that God is breathing fresh life into NGC 7479 through the birth of many new stars. From the tiny Mayfly with a lifespan of less than a day, to the immense and ageless galaxies, He is the giver of life.