SUNSET: 
0
Photographer:
Bruce Waddington
Location of Photo:
SkyPi Remote Observatory, New Mexico
Date/Time of photo:
3 nights ending on 3/23/2025
Equipment:
12.5" Planewave scope with QSI-640ws camera
Description:
NGC 3344, is a weakly barred spiral galaxy in Leo Minor that is infrequently imaged. Roughly 1/2 the size of the Milky Way galaxy, it is about 25M l-y distant and belongs to a small group of galaxies known as the Leo Spur, a branch of the giant Virgo super-cluster. Professional studies have shown a peculiar distribution of star velocities in the outer arms of the galaxy, something that isn't easily explained by influence from the central bulge or the bar. It's possible this is the result of an interaction with a dwarf companion galaxy sometime in the past, an event that might also account for the widespread areas of star formation (pink areas) in NGC 3344.
