Arp 94 - NGC 3227 & NGC 3226
March 31, 2026
Arp 94 is a gravitationally interacting pair of galaxies in the constellation Leo, catalogued by Halton Arp in his 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The pair consists of NGC 3227, a barred spiral galaxy, and NGC 3226, a compact elliptical galaxy locked in a close gravitational embrace about 50–80 million light-years from Earth.
The interaction between the two is subtle but unmistakable — tidal forces have drawn faint stellar streams and distortions around both galaxies, visible as delicate wisps in deep exposures. NGC 3227 is also notable for hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN), making it a Seyfert galaxy with a supermassive black hole at its core.
Processed by Malcolm.
Acquisition Details
Telescope: RC12 | Camera: ZWO ASI 6200MM | Mount: 10Micron GM2000
| Filter | Frames | Integration |
|---|---|---|
| L | 120 × 120s Bin1 | 4 hr |
| R | 60 × 120s Bin2 | 2 hr |
| G | 60 × 120s Bin2 | 2 hr |
| B | 60 × 120s Bin2 | 2 hr |
| Total | 10 hours |
Calibrated and processed in PixInsight.