The Leo Triplet, also known as the M66 Group, is a stunning assembly of three spiral galaxies—M65, M66, and NGC 3628—located about 35 million light-years away in the constellation Leo. Captured in RGB, this image showcases the unique characteristics of each galaxy.

• M65 appears as a smooth and tightly wound spiral, suggesting a relatively undisturbed structure.

• M66, in contrast, exhibits asymmetric spiral arms and a pronounced central bar, shaped by past gravitational interactions.

• NGC 3628, often called the Hamburger Galaxy, is seen edge-on with a dark dust lane cutting across its bright core.

The Triplet is the presence of a tidal tail extending from NGC 3628, formed by gravitational forces during close encounters with its neighbors. This faint stream of stars and gas stretches over 300,000 light-years, offering evidence of the dynamic and interactive nature of these galaxies. Such cosmic interactions not only distort galaxy shapes but also trigger bursts of star formation, enriching the view with regions of glowing hydrogen and young stellar clusters.

Image Description and Details :

Leo Triplet, the three galaxies M65 - M66 and NGC3628 with its Tidal Tail.

Telescope: Takahashi FSQ 106 - Unguided CCD: QSI 683 ws8 LRGB Baader planetarium filters Mount: 10 Micron HPS1000 Rotator: Pegasus Focuser: Lunatic Armadillo Software: Mountwizar 4, Voyager, Pixinsight

"FAR LIGHT TEAM" Remote Observatory in Spain ( Fregenal de la Sierra ) Badajoz, Extremadura Region, in the hosting of telescopes "Entre Encinas y Estrellas". Photographic work done during the month of May 2021

Authors and copyright : Marc Valero, Bittor Zabalegui, José Esteban & Jesús M. Vargas

Lights: ( -15º ) Luminance 44 x 1200" bininx1 Luminance 25 x 200" bininx1 R 20 x 300" bininx2 G 20 x 300" bininx2 B 20 x 300" bininx2

Calibration: ( -15º ) 50 DARKS x 1200" bininx1 100 DARKS x 200" bininx1 75 DARKS x 300" bininx2

200 BIAS bininx1 200 BIAS bininx2

60 FLATS Luminance 60 FLATS Blue 60 FLATS Green 60 FLATS Red

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Copyright: Authors and copyright : Marc Valero, Bittor Zabalegui, José Esteban & Jesús M. Vargas