potential gravitational lens

• by planetaryscience

  while looking for precovery images of TNO 2012 VV113, I happened across an odd circular formation of galaxies that seemed unusual- I would probably go with an overlap/merger myself but I am not an expert on gravity lenses so hopefully someone who is more qualified in this will see it:

  

  RA: 02 04 22.7
  
  DEC: -04 08 52

  the photoZ of the three suggest that the two 'lensed' galaxies are nearer than the 'lensing' one, but they are also very different from each other, leading me to believe that the values aren't reliable. Additionally, the lens doesn't seem to be centered on the larger galaxy, but I am again not an expert on these objects, and don't know if that makes the lensing impossible.

  Posted December 31, 2015 7:07 PM

• by Budgieye moderator

  Probably a highly unusual star trail. A lens arc would be the colour of distant galaxies, red or magenta or bright blue. Since this is the same colour as the galaxies, I would think that it is a long trail. Maybe it should go on "Objects that need more research" http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/#/boards/BGZ0000004/discussions/DGZ0000ycq

  Here are links to images of lenses

  3.9 Gravitational lenses http://talk.galaxyzoo.org/#/boards/BGZ0000001/discussions/DGZ0000wrb?page=3&comment_id=53d8b966db90c7620200110c

  Posted December 31, 2015 7:51 PM

• by Dolorous_Edd

  Object is SDSS J020423.10-040850.3

  Here is CFHT image

  IMHO looks like merger of some sort

  

  Posted December 31, 2015 10:14 PM

• by Budgieye moderator

  Thanks Dolorous_Edd , when you posted I was scared that I had missed something, and you were going to show a huge relativistic jet coming from it! Glad that you think it is a merger too.

  Posted January 2, 2016 4:48 AM