NGC/IC Project Restoration Effort

===== NGC 3448 is one of the "classic" I0 galaxies. Its nucleus is hidden behind an array of dust and knots with a short dust lane almost directly across the center of the galaxy. Looking at the wonderful SDSS image, it's easy to see where the nucleus should be. Indeed, there is a 2MASS PSC source very close to that location, so that is the position I've chosen for the galaxy.

===== NGC 3448 48" (5/16/12): this interacting starburst galaxy appeared very bright, large, very elongated 3:1 WSW-ENE, high surface brightness, irregular shape, mottled appearance. At the northeast end of the galaxy is large, bright knot, ~25"x12", which is possibly the disrupted core of the galaxy. Occasionally an extremely faint tidal tail could be glimpsed, extending perhaps 1.5' ENE. The beginning of the tail near the bright knot was easily seen. At the very tip was a marginally visible galaxy, perhaps glimpsed a couple of times. The dim tail extends the length from 2.4' to 3.6'. NGC 3448 is interacting with UGC 6016, a low surface brightness dwarf galaxy, 4.1' WSW. The companion appeared as a faint to fairly faint, low surface brightness patch, elongated SW-NE (in the direction of NGC 3448) , ~1.2'x0.5', no concentration. 17.5" (3/12/88): fairly bright, moderately large, very elongated 3:1 WSW-ENE, halo increases to a small bright core. A mag 13.5 star follows 3.1' from center. An extremely faint knot is visible east of the core along the major axis about 35" from the center. Located 19' SE of 44 Ursa Majoris (V = 5.1).