SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Joerg Tomczak
Location of Photo:
Hennigsdorf, Germany
Date/Time of photo:
04/03/2025 11:45 PM CEST
Equipment:
8" TS-Optics Telescope RC 203/1624, ZWO ASI294MC Pro Camera, IDAS LPS D2 Filter, Celestron CGX Mount
Description:
In April 2025, asteroid (961) Gunnie briefly traversed the region of Hickson Compact Group 44 in the Leo constellation - an unusual perspective where near and far converge. Just 37 kilometers across and composed of dark, unreflective material, Gunnie follows an unassuming path through the asteroid belt - no tail, no glow, just quiet persistence. In contrast, the dynamic interaction of four galaxies 60 million light-years away: the spiral NGC 3190, marked by its prominent dust lane; the elliptical NGC 3193; the distorted barred spiral NGC 3187; and the ring-like NGC 3185. Named in 1921 after the daughter of Swedish astronomer Bror Asplind, Gunnie left little mark on history - but her name still circles the Sun, a quiet reminder that even the most unassuming lives leave a lasting trace.
