NGC 3528 and NGC 3529
This image showcases two strikingly different galaxies in the constellation Crater — a region not often explored, but rich in galactic variety.
At the center of the frame lies NGC 3528, a lenticular galaxy (type S0) glowing with a soft halo and a prominent central bulge. Though it may resemble an elliptical at first glance, closer inspection reveals a faint disk structure.
This galaxy is located about 136 million light-years away, and spans approximately 2.0 by 1.2 arcminutes in our sky. That translates to a true diameter of around 83,000 light-years — nearly the size of the Milky Way.
Floating above it is the spiral NGC 3529, also known as IC 2625. Its loosely wound spiral arms and bluish hue hint at active star formation, and a distinct bar cuts through its center. While it appears close to NGC 3528 visually, it lies much farther in the background — about 199 million light-years away.
With an apparent size of 1.0 by 0.8 arcminutes, this translates to a physical size of roughly 58,000 light-years across.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby