NGC 87
Irregular galaxy in the constellation Phoenix
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NGC 87 is a diffuse, irregular galaxy located approximately 155 million light-years away in the southern constellation of Phoenix.[2] It was discovered on September 30, 1834, by the English astronomer John Herschel.[3]
| NGC 87 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 87, a warped galaxy in Robert's Quartet | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Phoenix |
| Right ascension | 00h 21m 14.2133s[1] |
| Declination | −48° 37′ 42.81″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.011391[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 3415 ± 23 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 154.7 ± 11.0 Mly (47.44 ± 3.36 Mpc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 14.1 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | IBm pec[1] |
| Size | ~51,500 ly (15.80 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 0.9′ × 0.7′ |
| Other designations | |
| ESO 194-G008, PGC 1357 | |
Physical characteristics
NGC 87 is classified morphologically as a diffuse irregular galaxy, displaying a lack of a distinct central nucleus or organized spiral structure.[2] At its distance of 155 million light-years, its angular size corresponds to a physical diameter of roughly 42,000 light-years, making it about 40% the size of the Milky Way.[2]
Unlike its spiral and lenticular companions, NGC 87 contains significant reservoirs of cold neutral hydrogen gas and active H II regions.[4] Its asymmetric appearance and chaotic star-forming areas are driven by tidal interactions with nearby galactic companions.[4]
