Hickson 44 aka Arp 316 is a compact group of galaxies in the constellation Lion (Leo); it contains NGC 3185 (Sba), NGC 3187 (SBc/P), NGC 3190 (Sa) and NGC 3193 (E2) plus several smaller members. This compact constellation likely will lead to a merger of all galaxies; already now the gravitational interactions lead to distortions and to increased star formation in the spiral galaxies.
This is the first image with the „Dual Rig„ where everything fell in place: with the 250mm-Newton and the Moravian-camera luminance-frames (and according to the object in case narrowband-frames too) are captured. With a 150mm f/5-Newton, mounted in parallel and armed with a Touptek 294CP colour camera, RGB-frames are captured at the same time.
The donationware N.I.N.A., short for „Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy„, controls mount, cameras, focusing, guiding via PHD2, opening and closing of the roll-off-roof, everything according to an exact choreography.
The most attractive feature of N.I.N.A. for me is the ability to run the two telescope systems in parallel, while starting the exposure and most important dithering are synchronized. Because of exposing RGB with the colour camera and at the same time matching luminance- of narrowband-frames acquisation of data is accelerated enormously.
The exact adjustment of both optical trains and the rotation of the cameras was an expected challenge. But the ever so slight rotation of the Paracorr in the focuser during meridian flips by the weight of the asymmetric body of the Moravian camera was unexpected. Happened before for sure but was never realized before.
I love to return to this object:

NGC 3187 (Leo), Hickson 44