NGC 3510 NGC 3021
Lmi
☀12.1mag
Ø 2.1' / 66''
Drawing Uwe Glahn

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/12/94): fairly bright, elongated 2:1 SSW-NNE, 1.5'x0.8', fairly high surface brightness, broadly concentrated halo, core appears rounder, no nucleus, mottled texture. This galaxy is slightly larger and brighter of a striking interacting pair, almost in contact with NGC 3396 at the NNE end 1.6' from center.

900/1200mm - 48" (5/4/16): this very bright, two-armed disrupted spiral forms an interacting, contact pair (Arp 270 = VV 246) with NGC 3396. At 375x, it contains a large bright core that increases to the center. On the north side of the core a spiral arm curls counterclockwise towards NGC 3396, nearly merging with the halo of the companion. A brighter, more defined spiral arm is on the south side; it rotates sharply counterclockwise nearly 180°, ending on the east side of the galaxy. A vague outer arm is at the south edge of the halo; it was visible as a low surface brightness extension to the southwest.