Saturday, Jan 4, 2025

Located about 62 million light-years from Earth, NGC 1316 a.k.a. Fornax A is notable for its impressive radio signals, which extend up to one million light-years, and for the intensity of its active galactic nucleus (AGN). Studies of this galaxy have provided valuable insights into high-energy astrophysics, analyzing the interaction between relativistic jets, magnetic fields and the surrounding environment. The final image of Fornax A required months of work and the adoption of innovative solutions to overcome numerous technical and meteorological challenges. The 50-cm Newtonian located in Chile proved essential to capture the intricate details of the galaxy's tidal tails and external structures. The choice not to use Hα filters, based on extensive preliminary research, allowed Team ShaRA to optimize costs, focusing on LRGB sessions to enhance the structure of Fornax A.