NGC 5557


Combination of 5, 3 minute images unfiltered.
SBIG STL-1001E CCD. 20" f/6.8 Dall-Kirkham cassegrain telescope at prime focus.

The strange-looking object on the left of the image is a pair of possibly interacting galaxies, NGC 5544 and NGC 5545. NGC 5544 is the brighter at magnitude 14.0. NGC 5545 is magnitude 14.9. In this image it is not possible to tell if they are actually interacting or just simply line of sight, but I suspect the latter.

NGC 5557 is a moderately large and bright galaxy inBootes. NGC 5544 and NGC 5545 were visible in same field.