III Zw 2
Seyfert galaxy in the constellation Pisces
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III Zw 2 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy located in the Pisces constellation. It has a redshift of 0.089 and is notable as the first of its kind to exhibit a superluminal jet.[1][2]
| III Zw 2 | |
|---|---|
III Zw 2 captured by DESI Legacy Surveys | |
| Observation data (J2000.0 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Pisces |
| Right ascension | 00h 10m 31.0s |
| Declination | 10° 58′ 29.5″ |
| Redshift | 0.089 |
| Distance | 1.09 Gly (334.2 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 0.27 |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 0.36 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Sy1.2 |
| Size | 67,500 ly in diameter |
| Notable features | First seyfert galaxy to show a superluminal jet |
| Other designations | |
| PG 0007+106, Mrk 1501, PGC 737, RBS 0019, 2E 0029, NVSS J001030+105827 | |
Discovery
III Zw 2 was first discovered by Fritz Zwicky via a 48-inch Schmidt survey as a stellar object with faint wisps.[3] However, it was confirmed to have a Seyfert morphology with classical broadline characteristic based on further spectroscopic studies.[4] It was also included in Palomar Green quasar sample.[5]
Characteristics
The host galaxy of III Zw 2 was initially classified as a spiral galaxy.[6][7] However according to a recent study made on its budge and disk decomposition via Hubble Space Telescope in 2009, it has since been reclassified as an elliptical galaxy.[8] It has a star-forming tidal bridge feature indicating a merger with a companion galaxy.[9] Furthermore, III Zw 2 belongs to a class of radio-intermediate quasars[10] and is a member of a triple galaxy system.[11]
Active nucleus
The nucleus of III Zw 2 is active. In additional, to its superluminal jet, the galaxy shows two distinctive γ-ray flares happening between November 2009 and May 2010, according to observations by Fermi-LAT.[11] It is also known to have a highly variable radio core flux density between factor of 20-30.[12]