NGC 1373
Galaxy in the constellation Fornax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NGC 1373 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy[4] located 61 million light years away[5] in constellation of Fornax. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on November 29, 1837,[6] and is a member of the Fornax Cluster.[7] NGC 1373 is a host to a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 4.6 million solar masses.[8]
| NGC 1373 | |
|---|---|
DSS image of NGC 1373. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Fornax (constellation) |
| Right ascension | 03h 34m 59.2s[1] |
| Declination | −35° 10′ 16″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.004450[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1334 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 61.13 Mly (18.744 Mpc)[1] |
| Group or cluster | Fornax Cluster |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 14.1[1] |
| Absolute magnitude (V) | −18.77[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | E+[1] |
| Mass | 1.3×109 (Stellar mass)/6×1010 (Total Mass)[3] M☉ |
| Size | ~18,800 ly (5.76 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 1.1 x 0.9[1] |
| Other designations | |
| ESO 358- G 021, MCG -06-08-028, FCC 143, PGC 013252[1] | |
63 known globular clusters have been observed surrounding NGC 1373,[9] along with 13 observed planetary nebulae.[10]
Physical characteristics
NGC 1373 is one of the most compact and faint elliptical galaxies in the Fornax Cluster.[11] As NGC 1373 is a compact elliptical galaxy, in the Fornax Cluster, it is expected to have older and more metal-rich populations of stars than similar compact elliptical galaxies of lower masses. It is thought that NGC 1373 originated as a more extended galaxy that transformed into a compact dwarf as it fell falling through the cluster.[12]
NGC 1373 appears to be interacting with the galaxy NGC 1374 and is separated from the galaxy by a distance of around 980,000 ly (0.3 Mpc).[10] This is evident as observations using the VLT Survey Telescope reveal the presence of a faint filament of matter connecting the two galaxies.[13]
See also
External links
- NGC 1373 on WikiSky: DSS2, SDSS, GALEX, IRAS, Hydrogen α, X-Ray, Astrophoto, Sky Map, Articles and images