our wedding wedsite ...
some (semi) desert astrophotography
CCD work done in the little Karoo
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NGC 4945
NGC 4945 is a prominent 8.6 magnitude galaxy located about 12m light years away in the constellation Centaurus. It forms part of a nearby (Centaurus A/M83) group of galaxies that includes NGC 5128 (Centaurus A), and M83. It is viewed nearly edge-on and is marked by thick dust lanes obscuring an active galactic nucleus, probably harbouring a massive black hole. It is also, from a number of accounts, very similar in structure (barred spiral) and size to our own Milky Way Galaxy, except that our galaxy has a much quieter nucleus. It was discovered by James Dunlop, a Scottish astronomer, from Australia in 1826. A very good description of this galaxy can be found at www.robgendlerastropics.com/NGC4945text.html
The little galaxy above 4945 is 15.3 magnitude PGC 45317. (PGC stands for Principle Galaxies Catalogue).
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Gav and Sue
