Fil:Galaxy.group.hickson.arp.500pix.jpg

he galaxies of HCG (Hickson Compact Group) 87, about four hundred million light-years distant toward the constellation Capricornus. The large edge-on spiral near picture center, the fuzzy elliptical galaxy immediately to its right, and the spiral near the top of the image are identified members of the group, while the small spiral galaxy in the middle is likely a more distant background galaxy. In any event, a careful examination of the deep image reveals other galaxies which certainly lie far beyond HCG 87. While not exactly locked in a group hug, the HCG 87 galaxies are interacting gravitationally, influencing their fellow group members' structure and evolution. This new image is from an instrument undergoing commissioning on the Gemini Observatory's South Telescope at Cerro Pachon, Chile.

SOURCE: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030731.html

No copyright statement can be found on the Gemini Telescope site at: http://www.gemini.edu/public. However Astronomy Picture of the Day, from which this image was taken, indicates that the picture is copyright free. The convention on APOD is that if there is no copyright then only a CREDIT is given under the picture. If there is a copyright then CREDIT and COPYRIGHT is stated. This picture has a CREDIT only (Credit: Credit: GMOS-S Commissioning Team, Gemini Observatory

Prepared by Adrian Pingstone in November 2003. Svenska: Galaxhopen HGC (Hickson Compact group) 87.

Den stora spiralgalaxen som ses från tvärsidan, nära bildens mitt, den lilla runda suddiga ellipsgalaxen omedelbart till höger, och spiralgalaxen på snedden i överkanten av bilden ingår i hopen, medan den lilla spiralgalaxen som kan ses inuti den triangel som bildas av de andra, förmodligen inte gör det utan ligger längre bort. Källa: GMOS-S Commissioning Team, Gemini Observatory, via engelska Wikipedia