NGC 1154-5 A pair of interacting galaxies?

NGC 1154 and NGC 1155 are a pair of galaxies in western Eridanus about
200 million light-years distant. While it isn't mentioned in the
literature that I can find it does appear they are interacting as
there's a faint plume that connects the two. I saw a hint of it in the
DSS images. It shows up somewhat more clearly in my image.
Unfortunately the night I took this had poor seeing so the image is not
very detailed. But transparency was pretty good allowing the plume to
be seen. At -11 degrees it is too low in my sky for a good image.
Maybe someone further south can get a better image of this interaction.

NGC 1154, on the right, is classes as SB with HII emission at NED. The
NGC project just says S. NGC 1155 is listed as a lenticular (L) at the
NGC project while NED says EL indicating it has elements of both an
elliptical and a lenticular galaxy. Since some spiral structure is seen
I can't quite agree to this classification. Neither galaxy appears all
that distorted by the interaction though NGC 1154 is stretched toward
its companion. Is the plume due to stars from only one of the galaxies
or both? I have no idea.

Only one other galaxy in the image is listed by NED with a redshift.
That is the obvious elliptical to the lower right, PGC 011187. It is
unrelated having a much greater redshift that puts it over twice as
distant at a bit over 450 million light-years.

I screwed up when taking this image. I had planned on doing it west of
the meridian as I had something else to image first. But as conditions
were going down I went with it to the east. My notes said to put it
high to also pick up MCG -02-08-033, a really neat spiral. Somehow I
forgot that I had to put the pair low when on the east side of the
meridian. So I not only moved the pair out of the center but missed the
third galaxy I wanted to catch. Still haven't caught it. I'll try
again conditions willing. It's redshift is a about the same so might be
a member of the system. Another reason I wanted to catch it.

14" LX200R @ f/10, L=4x10' RGB=2x10', STL-11000XM, Paramount ME

Rick

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