Shakbazian 16
Shakbazian 16 is a relatively compact group of galaxies. It was discovered in the 1980s by R. K. Shakbazian and his colleagues
while they were systematically searching for galaxy groups.
The group consists of a handful of galaxies concentrated in a relatively small volume of space. The most important key figures
include the redshift (z=0.17), which indicates a distance of about 400 million light-years, and the distribution of luminosity and mass
within the group. The dominant members are elliptical galaxies, which are very faint. The apparent brightness of the members is
typically in the range of 15th to 17th magnitude. This means that a large telescope and very good observing conditions are required.
The entire group occupies a relatively small area in the sky. This chain of galaxies is about 4 arcminutes long. At a distance of 400
million light-years, the true length can be calculated to be 500,000 light-years.
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When I observed the galaxy group with my 20-inch telescope, dusk had even begun to set in. However, I could immediately see
the four brightest galaxies at a magnification of 380x. The two northernmost galaxies (to the right above the bright star) were much
more difficult to see, but I still saw them flash several times for a few seconds.
I was also able to see three other galaxies in the immediate vicinity.
