Galaxy Cluster in Pegasus
The expansive constellation of Pegasus contains a wealth of galaxies and galaxy clusters. One of these galaxy clusters is Abell 2634, located in the northern portion of the "Great Square" that forms the most distinctive part of Pegasus. There is considerable uncertainty about the distance of the cluster, but it seems clear that it is several hundred million light years away.
The brightest member of this cluster is NGC 7720 (to the right of center in this image), an elliptical that appears to have a double nucleus, which is actually a separate, nearby galaxy.
NGC 7720:
| Magnitude | 12.4 |
| Apparent Size | 1.6' x 1.3' |
| Distance (light yrs) | 477 million |
| Right Ascension | 23:38.5 |
| Declination | +27 02 |
| Field of View | 31' x 24' |
Image details: Exposure times of 120 minutes luminance and 30 minutes each of red, green and blue, taken with an SBIG STF-8300M imager and a 14" Meade telescope at f/5.5.
December 2022