Markarian 231 -- Seyfert Galaxy in Ursa Major
Captured 24 Jun 2021, 22:40 hrs ET, Springfield, VA, USA. Bortle 8 skies, Mallincam DS10C camera, Celestron 8 inch SCT f/10, exposure 30 sec, gain 20, bin 2, live stack of 20 light frames, dark and flat frames subtracted, no filter.
Clouds: partly cloudy
Seeing: ok
Transparency: ok
Moon phase: 100%
From Astrometry.net:
FOV: 28 x 21 arcmin
Resolution: 0.9 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is North
From NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED):
Cross-identifications: MRK 0231; UGC 08058; SBS 1254+571; VII Zw 490; CGCG 293-045
Distance: 596 million light years
[Note: Estimated age of the Universe is 13.8 billion years. Measurement of distance is complex problem at this scale. ]
Redshift: z = 0.042
Type: Seyfert 1 galaxy, QSO
Apparent magnitude: +12.9
Apparent size: 102 arcsec
Appearance: dim star-like object with slight halo. Target area plate solved in Sharpcap; unambiguous visual ID via Stellarium.
From Wikipedia:
Markarian 231 (UGC 8058) is a Type-1 Seyfert galaxy that was discovered in 1969 as part of a search of galaxies with strong ultraviolet radiation. It contains the nearest known quasar. Markarian 231 is located about 581 million light years away from Earth.
The Markarian 231 galaxy is now undergoing an energetic starburst. A nuclear ring of active star formation has been found in the center with a rate of formation greater than 100 solar masses per year. It is one of the most ultraluminous infrared galaxies with power derived from an accreting black hole in the center, and the closest known quasar.
A 2015 study suggested that the central black hole, estimated to be 150 million times the mass of our Sun, may have a black hole companion weighing in at 4 million solar masses, and that the duo completed an orbit around each other every 1.2 years.
However, that model was subsequently shown to be unfeasible.
Another study has found evidence for the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) by using submillimeter astronomy, the first time molecular oxygen had been detected outside of the Milky Way galaxy.
Markarian 231 -- Seyfert Galaxy in Ursa Major
Captured 24 Jun 2021, 22:40 hrs ET, Springfield, VA, USA. Bortle 8 skies, Mallincam DS10C camera, Celestron 8 inch SCT f/10, exposure 30 sec, gain 20, bin 2, live stack of 20 light frames, dark and flat frames subtracted, no filter.
Clouds: partly cloudy
Seeing: ok
Transparency: ok
Moon phase: 100%
From Astrometry.net:
FOV: 28 x 21 arcmin
Resolution: 0.9 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is North
From NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED):
Cross-identifications: MRK 0231; UGC 08058; SBS 1254+571; VII Zw 490; CGCG 293-045
Distance: 596 million light years
[Note: Estimated age of the Universe is 13.8 billion years. Measurement of distance is complex problem at this scale. ]
Redshift: z = 0.042
Type: Seyfert 1 galaxy, QSO
Apparent magnitude: +12.9
Apparent size: 102 arcsec
Appearance: dim star-like object with slight halo. Target area plate solved in Sharpcap; unambiguous visual ID via Stellarium.
From Wikipedia:
Markarian 231 (UGC 8058) is a Type-1 Seyfert galaxy that was discovered in 1969 as part of a search of galaxies with strong ultraviolet radiation. It contains the nearest known quasar. Markarian 231 is located about 581 million light years away from Earth.
The Markarian 231 galaxy is now undergoing an energetic starburst. A nuclear ring of active star formation has been found in the center with a rate of formation greater than 100 solar masses per year. It is one of the most ultraluminous infrared galaxies with power derived from an accreting black hole in the center, and the closest known quasar.
A 2015 study suggested that the central black hole, estimated to be 150 million times the mass of our Sun, may have a black hole companion weighing in at 4 million solar masses, and that the duo completed an orbit around each other every 1.2 years.
However, that model was subsequently shown to be unfeasible.
Another study has found evidence for the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) by using submillimeter astronomy, the first time molecular oxygen had been detected outside of the Milky Way galaxy.