Re: [APML] OT: Abell 2151

[Wei-Hao Wang <wang@IfA.Hawaii.Edu>]

Hi Tony,

Nice image!  I couldn't identify any of the galaxies in your picture
from the Palomar Schmidt plate image of A2151.  I guess this is because
you went much deeper than Palomar.

The galaxy you mentioned looks like a tidally twisted galaxy.  Perhaps 
it's a tidal tail like those in the Antennae.  The elliptical galaxy to 
the left has some fuzzy halo around it.  Tails and halos are typical 
features of interacting galaxies.  

It's less likely a lensed arc.  Arcs around clusters look like this:
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~wang/research/findchart/rxj1347_hst.jpg
You can see more arc pictures here:
http://webast.ast.obs-mip.fr/people/kneib/hstarcs/
Usually there are multiple arcs around the center of the cluster.
They are usually very faint.  My experience is, it takes at least
a few minutes of exposure to see arcs on a 10-m class telescope.
If the one in your image is indeed an arc, it will be an ultra bright
one, perhaps the brightest arc ever found.

Cheers,

Wei-Hao


______________________________________________________________________
Wei-Hao Wang  :)

Institute for Astronomy at University of Hawaii

Address:                       Phone: 808-956-9867                  
2680 Woodlawn Drive            Personal Website:
Honolulu, HI 96822             http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~wang
______________________________________________________________________



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