This image shows the center of the large galaxy cluster Abell 1060. Some 25 galaxies are visible in the image, dominated by the pair of giant ellipticals in the center, NGC 3309 and NGC 3311. Also known as Hydra I, Abell 1060 is a member of the Hydra-Centaurus Super-cluster.
The large bluish galaxy in the lower left corner is a spiral viewed somewhat from the edge, and clearly distorted from gravitational interactions with other members of the cluster. The brightest of the two adjacent giant elliptical galaxies (NGC 3311) has an noticable assymetrical envelope extending towards the upper left, perhaps as a result of this encounter.
The cluster is located around 140 million light years away in the southern constellation Hydra.

OPTICS 10" Newtonian f/5.2
MOUNT Losmandy G11 equatorial
CAMERA Philips ToUCam Pro SC1 webcam
FILTERS None
EXPOSURE 70 x 120s
DATE/TIME 24/02/2006 11:33 UTC
LOCATION My backyard observatory in west Auckland, New Zealand