Galaxy Cluster in Hercules
Abell 2199 is one of several large and very distant galaxy clusters that are part of the Hercules galaxy supercluster. Most of the galaxies in Abell 2199 are estimated to be about 400 million light years away. The largest of this group by far is NGC 6166, the elliptical galaxy in the center of this image.
This image contains many more galaxies than are evident at this scale, and viewing the larger versions will make the small galaxies easier to see. But to determine the limiting magnitude of this image, an extreme enlargement is needed, such as the one below. It shows a small section of this picture and identifies some very dim galaxies. A galaxy of magnitude 22.7 is barely visible, making this the "deepest" image I have obtained so far.
NGC 6166:
| Magnitude | 11.9 |
| Apparent Size | 2.2' x 1.7' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 410 million |
| Right Ascension | 16:28.8 |
| Declination | +39 33 |
| Field of View | 35' x 26' |
Image details: Exposure times of 156 minutes luminance and 24 minutes each of red, green and blue, taken with an SBIG ST-8300M imager and a 12" Meade telescope at f/5.6.
August 2013
