SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Daniel Stern
Location of Photo:
Rio Hurtado, Chile
Date/Time of photo:
Various Days in October and November 23
Equipment:
CDK-17 Moravian C4-16000
Description:
NGC 1291, also known as NGC 1269, is about 12 billion years old, that is REALLY old. NGC 1291 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Eridanus, approximately 33 million light years away from Earth. The galaxy is believed to have undergone a major merger in the past, which caused its unusual appearance of an inner disk surrounded by a large outer disk. The galactic bar, which is a feature common to barred spirals, is also quite prominent in NGC 1291. The galaxy is home to several star-forming regions, as evidenced by its blue spiral arms. In addition, NGC 1291 has been found to contain a supermassive black hole at its center, which is estimated to be about 20 million times more massive than the sun.
