NGC 4490 Cocoon galaxy

This is two interacting galaxies, NGC 4490 being the larger, and NGC 4485 being the smaller one above.

They have already passed by one another, but interacted heavily with each other as they went. They are still connected by a stream of material stretching some 25 light years.

The pinkish spots on NGC 4490 are area's of intense star birth which have been triggered by the close fly by from NGC 4485.

 

They have passed through each other now, however gravity may well just pull them back together and smash them in to each other again and again over billions of years.

 

We are safe here for now. This is all happening about 24 million light years away in the constellation of Canes Venetici.

 

Boring techie bit:

Skywatcher quattro 8" S & f4 aplanatic coma corrector

HEQ5 pro mount guided with an Altair 50mm & GPcam setup

Canon 450D astro modded with Astronomik CLS CCD EOS APS-C clip filter. Neewer Intervalometer used to control the exposures.

67 exposures of 133 seconds at ISO 800

Stacked together with 20 each of Flats, Darks, Dark Flats & Bias calibration frames.

Processed with Deep Sky Stacker & StarTools.

Done