NGC 1433

NGC 1433 — Double-ringed Barred Spiral in Horologium

NGC 1433 lies in Horologium, about 46 million light-years from Earth. This image was taken with a 17-inch CDK, and the galaxy's charm lies in its double-ring structure — a faintly discernible short central bar and a delicate stellar ring extending outward.

Scientifically it is classified as a Seyfert 2 active galaxy; the molecular outflow driven by its central black hole is remarkably compact, making it an important case study in galaxy evolution. With a large aperture's resolving power, the HII regions dotted along its arms come into view.

The processing proved genuinely challenging. Limited by the low signal-to-noise ratio around the galaxy, the first two versions fell short of expectations; only on the third attempt did detail and noise suppression reach a satisfying balance — the best rendition achievable for now. With more exposure time in the future, I hope to give this target an even finer treatment.

Planewave CDK 17"
SBIG STXL 11002 with AOX
Paramount ME
Astrodon 50mm LRGB
Lx21 1200s; Rx23, Gx20, Bx20 900s
Total integration time: 22h 45m
Location: El Sauce, Chile
Software: PixInsight, Photoshop