{"id":59132,"date":"2024-05-17T05:01:30","date_gmt":"2024-05-17T05:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e45670e9-5443-4b32-9640-5bf6d4b99c1f"},"modified":"2024-05-17T07:09:46","modified_gmt":"2024-05-17T07:09:46","slug":"three-galaxies-in-one-view-how-to-locate-and-observe-the-amazing-leo-triplet-including-its-famous-hamburger","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/three-galaxies-in-one-view-how-to-locate-and-observe-the-amazing-leo-triplet-including-its-famous-hamburger\/","title":{"rendered":"Three galaxies in one view! How to locate and observe the amazing Leo Triplet, including its famous Hamburger"},"content":{"rendered":"

The three galaxies that make up the Leo Triplet, M66, M65 and NGC 3628, are engaged in a gravitational tug of war, making this a fascinating deep-sky spectacle. <\/p>

By Iain Todd\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 17 May 2024 at 05:01 AM<\/p>

\n\n

The Leo Triplet has to be one of the most mesmerising celestial targets that can fit in a single telescope field of view.<\/p>

It’s located about 30 million lightyears from Earth in the Leo constellation<\/a> that gives this iconic galaxy grouping its nickname.<\/p>

Consisting of 3 beautiful galaxies M66 and M65 (from the Messier Catalogue<\/a>) and NGC 3628, each member of the Leo Triplet is gravitationally bound to one another.<\/p>

Leo Triplet, Miroslav Horvat, Petrova Gora, Croatia, 21 April 2017. Equipment: QHY8 Pro CCD camera, Sky-Watcher Explorer-200P reflector, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro SynScan mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
This means that when you’re observing it, you are observing a connected system of galaxies.<\/p>
And each member is a spiral galaxy, although it may not initially appear as though this is the case.<\/p>
**The Leo Triplet galaxies<\/strong><\/h2>**Each galaxy<\/a> of the Leo Triplet looks as though it belongs in a different galactic category from its neighbour, but this is because they are all tilted at different angles from our perspective on Earth.<\/p>
**NGC 3628<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"The$
The Hamburger Galaxy, NGC 3628Andrea Arbizzi, Modena, Italy, 21 January, 10-11 March 2024Equipment: ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera, Celestron C8 EdgeHD Schmidt-Cassegrain, iOptron GEM45 mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>
NGC 3628 is the thin-looking galaxy in the Leo Triplet and is the faintest too, appearing edge-on through Earth-based telescopes.<\/p>
While this edge-on<\/a> view hides the galaxy\u2019s spiral structure from us, what is visible is the thick, dark dust lanes cutting through the galactic plane and hot young stars glowing bright blue.<\/p>
This a spiral galaxy sports a broad, dark central dust lane that can be seen through large telescopes on nights of very good seeing<\/a>.<\/p>
One other thing to note in the case of NGC 3628 is a warped and bulged appearance: likely a result of gravitational interactions between the 3 galaxies.<\/p>
NGC 3628\u2019s appearance has earned it the nickname \u2018the Hamburger Galaxy\u2019 among astronomers.<\/p>
**M66<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"M66$
M66 by Mark Shelton, Marston Green, Birmingham, UK, 15\u201319 January 2022 Equipment: ZWO ASI6200 camera, Celestron C14 Edge Schmidt-Cassegrain, Paramount MX mount<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Galaxy M66, the lowest of the two face-on galaxies, is a barred spiral galaxy and the brightest of the Leo Triplet, lying 35 million lightyears away.<\/p>
In fact, galaxy M66’s barred spiral galaxy\u2019s arms are among the brightest of any galaxy you’ll see.<\/p>
You can even (just about) see galaxy M66 through binoculars on a dark, Moon-free night, shining as it does at mag. +8.9, but look through a telescope and you’ll see M66’s spiral arms.<\/p>
M66 is slightly asymmetrical, and this is a result of the gravitational tug-of-war playing out between the 3 galaxies.<\/p>
**M65<\/strong><\/h3>** $\"M65.$
Credit: Klauser Franz \/ CCDGuide.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>
M65 shines at a magnitude of +10.3, and is a spiral galaxy located lightyears away.<\/p>
High magnifications will show you M65’s tight spiral arms and bright galactic centre. It has a diameter of about 90,000 lightyears.<\/p>
M65 was also the site of a recent supernova. Supernova 2013am was observed on 21 March 2013 by M Sugano from Kakogawa, Japan, who reported a bright ‘new star’ with a magnitude of +15.6.<\/p>
**How to find the Leo Triplet<\/strong><\/h2>** $\"Chart$
Chart showing the constellation Leo and the location of the Leo Triplet of galaxies. Click chart to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>
The Leo Triplet is a great target for springtime Galaxy Season<\/a> and is fairly easy to find in the springtime night sky because it lies within one of the most prominent constellations.<\/p>
It can be located using the Sickle asterism.<\/p>
Find the Sickle – or backwards question mark – in Leo by looking to the southwest on a springtime evening.<\/p>
You can use a star chart or astronomy app to help you.<\/p>
Bottom of the Sickle is bright star Regulus.<\/p>
Scan left from Regulus until you reach star Denebola, the star that marks Leo the lion’s tail.<\/p>
The Leo Triplet can be found about a quarter of the distance from Denebola to Regulus. <\/p>
Pictures of the Leo Triplet<\/strong><\/h2>
Below is a selection of images captured by *BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/em> readers and astrophotographers from across the globe.<\/p>*
*If you\u2019re interested in learning more about* *astrophotography<\/a>, read our expert astrophotography guides<\/a> or find out how to fine-tune your captures with image processing<\/a>.<\/p>*
*And don\u2019t forget to send us your images<\/a>. You can also share them with us via Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>*
$\"The$
The Leo TripletPrabhakaran (Prabhu), Emirates Astronomical Observatory, Razeen Desert, Abu Dhabi, 15-21 February 2023Equipment: ZWO ASI294MM Pro mono CMOS camera, Sky-Watcher Esprit 80ED triplet apo refractor, Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 GT mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo TripletBrendan Tynan, Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, 15 April 2023Equipment: Moravian Instruments G2-8300 mono CCD camera, Sky-Watcher Quattro 12S 300mm Newtonian reflectoer, Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Leo Triplet, Jared Bowens, Clarksdale, Missouri, USA, 27 March\u201323 April 2021. Equipment: Canon 60D DSLR, Orion 8\u201d Newtonian astrograph, Celestron AVX mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Leo TripletPeter Rea, Appley Bridge, Wigan, 16 March 2021Equipment: ZWO ASI 533MC Pro colour camera, Altair 72mm EDF refractor, Sky-Watcher HEQ5 mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet Mukund Raguram, Lake Sonoma, California, 21 March 2020Equipment: ZWO ASI 1600MM camera, Explore Scientific ED127 apo refractor, EQ6-R Pro mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet Neil Hankey, Leusden, Netherlands, 25\u201327 March 2020 Equipment: ZWO ASI 1600MM Pro mono camera, Takahashi Epsilon 130ED Newtonian reflector, iOptron CEM60 mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"\"$
Leo Triplet, Miroslav Horvat, Petrova Gora, Croatia, 21 April 2017. Equipment: QHY8 Pro CCD camera, Sky-Watcher Explorer-200P reflector, Sky-Watcher NEQ6 Pro SynScan mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by Miroslav Horvat, Petrova Gora, Croatia. Equipment: SW200p, NEQ6pro, QHY8, QHY5L-II.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet – LRGB by Simon Todd, Haywards Heath, UK. Equipment: Sky-Watcher Quattro 8-CF F4 Imaging Newtonian, Atik Cameras 383L Mono CCD, Sky-Watcher Aplanatic Coma Corrector, Qhyccd QHY5L-II, Celestron Telescopes C80ED Refractor, Sky-Watcher EQ8 Pro, Starlight Xpress Ltd 7x36mm USB EFW, Baader Planetarium LRGB 7NM HA<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"NGC3628$
NGC3628 Hamburger Galaxy by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Teleskop service 12″ Richey-Chretien telescope, Skywatcher EQ8 mount, Atik 383L camera, Astronomik LRGB filters, Hutech IDAS light pollution filter, Astro physics 0.67 reducer.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplets by Alison Bossaert, Kielder Star Camp, Sunderland, UK. Equipment: Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR camera, Sky-Watcher 200pds<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by Tim Schafer, Bishops Stortford, Herts, UK. Equipment: Astro modified Canon 100D, Skywatcher 150 pds, HEQ5 mount, Lacerta MGEN autoguider.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"NGC3628$
NGC3628 Hamburger Galaxy by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Teleskop service 12″ Richey-Chretien telescope, Skywatcher EQ8 mount, Atik 383L camera, Astronomik LRGB filters, Hutech IDAS light pollution filter, Astro physics 0.67 reducer.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Leo Triplet by Chris Grimmer, Seething, Norfolk, UK. Equipment: William Optics GT81 Triplet, SXVR H694 mono CCD, Strodon LRGB filters, Ioptron CEM60 Mount<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by \u00c1lvaro Ib\u00e1\u00f1ez P\u00e9rez, Pioz, Guadalajara, Spain. Equipment: TS 115 Triplet APO Refractor, NEW6 Pro II Tuning Belts, TS Optics 0,79x, ATIK 460ex Mono, Lunatico EZG60 SXLodestar, Robofocus<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"M65\/M66\/NGC3628$
M65\/M66\/NGC3628 Leo Galaxy Trio by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: GSO 8″ Richey-Chretien Optical tube, Skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount,Atik 383L camera, motorised filter wheel and Astronomik LRGB filters.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by Guy Walsh, Preston, Lancashire, UK. Equipment: APM 107 Super Apo, Riccardi Reducer\/Flattener.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"The$
The Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) with supernova SN2013am by Jeff Burgess, Musselburgh, Scotland, UK. Equipment: TS 80mm Triplet refractor, NEQ6 PRO, Astro modified Canon 1000D.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by Tom Howard, Crawley, Sussex, UK. Equipment: Nikon D7000 DSLR, Meade 5000 127mm refractor, EQ6.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"M65$
M65 M66 NGC3628 Galaxy Trio in Leo by Mark Griffith, Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. Equipment: Celestron c11 sct, skywatcher NEQ6 pro mount, Canon Eos 1100d self-modified and Astronomik CLS CCD clip filter.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet LRGB by Dave Trewren, Bristol, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher 120ED, HEQ5 Pro, QHY9M filter wheel, Skywatcher 80ST, StarShoot autoguider, Focusing SharpSky.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
$\"Leo$
Leo Triplet by Jamie Bowring, Devon, UK. Equipment: Skywatcher Explorer 150p, EQ3\/2 Unguided, Canon EOS30d.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div>