NGC 5218 speaks of gravity—a barred spiral shaped by interaction.
The galaxy is an interacting barred spiral; together with a nearby partner it forms an Arp object with tidal features.
At only 7° altitude and 72% humidity, the large number of frames (5730 s total) helped carve the compact core from the brightened horizon.
The 250‑mm f/5 setup gathers a wide field in which, alongside NGC 5218, faint companions appear as small islets of light.
Catalogue: NGC 5218
Imaging and processing: Ulrich Schwarz · Vespera Pro