Space Warps Talk

Lens, arm, or banana galaxy?

  • keith_edkins by keith_edkins

    Close to the right edge, 1/6 of the way down. (please be gentle with me, I'm new here!)

    Posted

  • Capella05 by Capella05 moderator

    Welcome Keith 😃

    That is an unusual image - the object does appear to be lens like, although it is somewhat displaced compared to the galaxy...I am thinking it could perhaps be a overlap, but after looking at it for a while I am not going to discount it. I am hoping one of my fellow science team members will come along shortly and have a look!

    No bananas or arms in sight 😃

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  • ElisabethB by ElisabethB moderator

    My gut reaction was : not a lens. But looking at it a bit more made me doubt.
    Definitely a weird one ! Nice catch !

    Posted

  • drphilmarshall by drphilmarshall scientist, admin

    Hi @keith_edkins !

    Good catch indeed - while it has the shape of a spiral arm, its got the brightness we expect from a lensed source, so its definitely worth looking into more. Maybe @anupreeta can dig out the neighbouring image so we can see whether theres a counter-image - or mirror image spiral arm - on the other side of the "lens"! I'll send her a message! 😃 Thanks!

    Posted

  • keith_edkins by keith_edkins

    I have to say my own suspicion is that the blue is a "tadpole" like in this image with a chance alignment with a non-lensing foreground object

    Posted

  • anupreeta by anupreeta scientist, admin

    Just another spiral galaxy:
    Check here

    keith edkins, you're right !

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  • Capella05 by Capella05 moderator

    Thanks @Anupreeta! Amazing how your perceptions can change when you view the whole object 😃

    Posted

  • AlexandredOr by AlexandredOr

    I'd go for a lens..

    Posted