NGC 4305
Dwarf spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo
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NGC 4305 is a dwarf spiral galaxy[2] located about 100 million light-years away[3] in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on May 2, 1829.[4] Although considered to be a member of the Virgo Cluster,[2][5] its high radial velocity and blue luminosity suggest it is in fact a background galaxy.[6] The galaxy has a nearby major companion; NGC 4306.[6]
| NGC 4305 | |
|---|---|
SDSS image of NGC 4305. | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 22m 03.6s[1] |
| Declination | 12° 44′ 27″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.006298[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1888 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 98 Mly (30 Mpc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.4[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SA(r)a[1] |
| Size | ~32,000 ly (9.7 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 2.07 x 0.97[1] |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 07432, VCC 0522, PGC 040030, MCG +02-32-013[1] | |
NGC 4305 exhibits well-defined, smooth spiral arms which terminate well outside its central bulge.[7] This spiral structure appears to have been induced by a tidal interaction with NGC 4306.[8][9] Such a tidal interaction would also explain its deficiency in neutral hydrogen gas (HI).[6]
