NGC 4151 and NGC 4145 are a spectacular pair of galaxies in the constellation Canes Venatici!
Thanks to an extended period of clear weather here in northern Germany, I was able to capture these galaxies over the course of nine nights. After generously filtering the data, I was left with nearly 37 hours of material for processing – consisting of luminance, RGB, and H-alpha exposures (RGB taken at 750 mm f/3.75 with the Starizona Nexus, luminance and H-alpha at 1000 mm f/5).
In the image, many smaller galaxies can also be spotted (including NGC 4156 with a tidal stream towards PGC 2151005)!
Here are some additional details about the image:
NGC 4151 is a well-known Seyfert galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici, about 43 million light-years away. It’s one of the closest and brightest active galactic nuclei (AGN), often referred to as a “mini-quasar.” At its core lies a supermassive black hole that actively accretes matter, emitting strong radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum. Due to its brightness and proximity, NGC 4151 is extensively studied to understand black hole activity and galaxy evolution.
NGC 4145 is a barred spiral galaxy, also in the constellation Canes Venatici, roughly 68 million light-years from Earth. It features loosely wound spiral arms and an extended bar structure. Unlike NGC 4151, NGC 4145 does not have an active nucleus and is primarily notable for its structure and ongoing star formation. It’s considered a more “typical” spiral galaxy without significant AGN activity.
Skywatcher 200/1000 @1000mm f/5 & @750mm f/3.75
Starizona Nexus Komakorrektor/Reducer (0.75) & TS GPU (1.0)
EQ6-R Pro
Camera 1 (OSC): ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro (Gain 100, Offset 18, -10°)
RGB (Baader UV/IR Cut): 1909 × 60″ (31h 49′)
Camera 2 (Mono): TS 2600 MP Mono (Gain 100, Offset 200, -10°)
Ha: (Antlia EDGE H-alpha 4.5nm Filter): 150 x 120‘‘ (5h)
Total: 36h 49‘
N.I.N.A., Guiding: ZWO ASI 120 MM & PHD2
Bortle 5
Astropixelprocessor, Photoshop, Pixinsight