Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak meets the galaxy NGC 6015: an image (09 Apr. 2017)
Despite a very bright, almost full Moon, we observed comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, finding it shining close a to a field galaxy, NGC 6015.
The image above comes from the average of two, 60-seconds exposures, unfiltered, remotely taken with the 16″-f/3.75 Tenagra III (“Pearl”) robotic unit part of Tenagra Observatories in Arizona. The imaging camera is based on the KAF-16801 CCD. The resulting image scale is 2.4″/pixel. Further details are available on the image itself. An extremely bright, almost full Moon heavily affected to view, but despite this it was a great sight. The coma of comet 41P is visible and, on the background, at a distance of about 50 millions of light year, the spiral galaxy NGC 6015 is visible pretty well.
The observatory is placed at 1300 meters above the sea level, in the Sonoran desert, providing one of the best skies in the world. This image was taken as part of a cooperation between the Virtual Telescope Project and Tenagra Observatories, Ltd., which will be announced soon.
Support The Virtual Telescope Project!
Support us! Please, donate and receive an EXCLUSIVE image of the stunning COMET C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and much more, specifically made for supporters like you!
(you can adjust the amount later)