This peculiar galaxy (typed SB0) of apparent magnitude 11.2mag and sized  1,9′ × 1,6′ can be found in the consrellation of Aquarius.With a real distance of 220 Mio.light-years two galaxies are heavily merging,giving them the look of an atom,circeled by some electrons.(Peace-Speech of President Eisenhower in 1953).It was first seen by William Herschel in 1785.

The special shape of NGC7252 results from the merging of two galaxies.Strong X-ray emissions have their origin in wether nuclear activiy or an intermediate black hole.The central structure is pinwheel shaped (HST picture,look here) and can not be detected on earthbased photographs.

 position (epoch 2000):

RA.:  22h 20m 44,8s
Decl.: -24° 40′ 41,8″

image data:

LRGB image with L = 30x1200s, RGB = 8x1200s (very bad quality) each,a total of 18.0 hours

80cm f/7 AstroOptik Keller corrected cassegrain FLI Proline 16803 Astrodon LRGB GenII filters

Prompt 7 CTIO/UNC Chile,remote controlled

image processing: Bernd Flach-Wilken

 this is a 84% FOV-look to NGC7252.For full resolution click here

here is a more detailed look to the Atoms-for-Peace Galaxy:

here is a look to NGC7252 with the HST

here you see the inner core with the HST

and here a look to it with the 2,2m ESO-telescope