NGC 4203
NGC 4203 (SDSS)
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationComa Berenices
Right ascension12h 15m 05.0s[1]
Declination+33° 11′ 50″[1]
Redshift0.003620[2]
Heliocentric radial velocity1,083[3] km/s
Galactocentric velocity1,093[3] km/s
Distance49.84 ± 0.46 Mly (15.28 ± 0.14 Mpc)[3]
Group or clusterComa I
Apparent magnitude (V)11.99[4]
Apparent magnitude (B)12.98[4]
Characteristics
TypeSAB0−[5]
Apparent size (V)2.467′ × 2.319′[6]
Other designations
2MASX J12150502+3311500, LEDA 39158, UGC 7256, UZC J121505.0+331152, Z 187-29 .[7]

NGC 4203 is the New General Catalogue identifier for a lenticular galaxy in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices. It was discovered on March 20, 1787 by English astronomer William Herschel,[8] and is situated 5.5° to the northwest of the 4th magnitude star Gamma Comae Berenices and can be viewed with a small telescope.[9] The morphological classification of NGC 4203 is SAB0−,[5] indicating that it has a lenticular form with tightly wound spiral arms and a weak bar structure at the nucleus.[10]

This galaxy has a fairly large reservoir of neutral hydrogen containing on the order of a billion solar masses (M☉), but it is only undergoing a low rate of new star formation. Hence, the inner star formation of the galaxy is fairly old; roughly ten billion years on average. The neutral hydrogen is arranged in two ring-like structures, with the outer ring having nine times the mass of the inner. In the central region there is around 2.5×107 M☉ of molecular hydrogen, plus dust structures within 980 ly (300 pc) of the nucleus. The gas in the outer disk may have been accreted from the inter-galactic medium, or captured during a close encounter with a dwarf galaxy.[11]

The nucleus of the galaxy contains a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region of type 1.9. This is being generated by a supermassive black hole of an estimated (6±1)×107 M☉. An influx of gas of around 2×10−2 M☉/yr is sufficient to explain the measured X-ray luminosity. The time-varying emissions from the region are perhaps best explained by an infalling red supergiant star that is losing mass to the black hole along a contrail.[12]

NGC 4203 is a member of the Coma I Group[13][14][15] which is part of the Virgo Supercluster.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Myers, S. T.; et al. (May 2003), "The Cosmic Lens All-Sky Survey - I. Source selection and observations", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 341 (1): 1–12, arXiv:astro-ph/0211073, Bibcode:2003MNRAS.341....1M, doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06256.x, S2CID 18706420.
  2. ^ Kochanek, C. S.; et al. (October 2001), "The K-Band Galaxy Luminosity Function", The Astrophysical Journal, 560 (2): 566–579, arXiv:astro-ph/0011456, Bibcode:2001ApJ...560..566K, doi:10.1086/322488, S2CID 119420446.
  3. ^ a b c Tully, R. Brent; et al. (October 2013), "Cosmicflows-2: The Data", The Astronomical Journal, 146 (4): 25, arXiv:1307.7213, Bibcode:2013AJ....146...86T, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/146/4/86, S2CID 118494842, 86.
  4. ^ a b Véron-Cetty, M.-P.; Véron, P. (July 2010), "A catalogue of quasars and active nuclei", Astronomy and Astrophysics (13th ed.), 518: A10, Bibcode:2010A&A...518A..10V, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014188.
  5. ^ a b Erwin, Peter; Debattista, Victor P. (June 2013), "Peanuts at an angle: detecting and measuring the three-dimensional structure of bars in moderately inclined galaxies", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 431 (4): 3060–3086, arXiv:1301.0638, Bibcode:2013MNRAS.431.3060E, doi:10.1093/mnras/stt385, S2CID 54653263.
  6. ^ Skrutskie, Michael F.; Cutri, Roc M.; Stiening, Rae; Weinberg, Martin D.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Carpenter, John M.; Beichman, Charles A.; Capps, Richard W.; Chester, Thomas; Elias, Jonathan H.; Huchra, John P.; Liebert, James W.; Lonsdale, Carol J.; Monet, David G.; Price, Stephan; Seitzer, Patrick; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Fullmer, Linda; Hurt, Robert L.; Light, Robert M.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Tam, Robert; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Wheelock, Sherry L. (1 February 2006). "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)". The Astronomical Journal. 131 (2): 1163–1183. Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S. doi:10.1086/498708. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 18913331.
  7. ^ "NGC 4203". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2016-01-03.((cite web)): CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  8. ^ Seligman, Courtney (November 23, 2012), "NGC Objects: NGC 4200 - 4249", Celestial Atlas, retrieved 2015-01-04.
  9. ^ O'Meara, Steve (2007), Herschel 400 Observing Guide, Cambridge University Press, p. 190, ISBN 978-0521858939.
  10. ^ de Vaucouleurs, G.; et al. (1991), "Third reference catalogue of bright galaxies, version 9", The Astronomical Journal, 108: 2128, Bibcode:1994AJ....108.2128C, doi:10.1086/117225, retrieved 2015-11-25.
  11. ^ Yıldız, Mustafa K.; et al. (July 2015), "Star formation in the outer regions of the early-type galaxy NGC 4203", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 451 (1): 103–113, arXiv:1505.02981, Bibcode:2015MNRAS.451..103Y, doi:10.1093/mnras/stv992, S2CID 119208550.
  12. ^ Devereux, Nick (December 2011), "Time Variable Broad-line Emission in NGC 4203: Evidence for Stellar Contrails", The Astrophysical Journal, 743 (1): 10, arXiv:1106.4790, Bibcode:2011ApJ...743...83D, doi:10.1088/0004-637X/743/1/83, S2CID 118450426, 83.
  13. ^ R. B. Tully (1988). Nearby Galaxies Catalog. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-35299-4.
  14. ^ A. Garcia (1993). "General study of group membership. II - Determination of nearby groups". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement. 100: 47–90. Bibcode:1993A&AS..100...47G.
  15. ^ Giuricin, Giuliano; Marinoni, Christian; Ceriani, Lorenzo; Pisani, Armando (2000). "Nearby Optical Galaxies: Selection of the Sample and Identification of Groups". The Astrophysical Journal. 543 (1): 178. arXiv:astro-ph/0001140. Bibcode:2000ApJ...543..178G. doi:10.1086/317070. ISSN 0004-637X. S2CID 9618325.
  16. ^ Gregory, Stephen A.; Thompson, Laird A. (April 15, 1977). "The Coma i Galaxy Cloud". The Astrophysical Journal. 213: 345–350. Bibcode:1977ApJ...213..345G. doi:10.1086/155160. ISSN 0004-637X.

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New General Catalogue 4000 to 4499
Constellation of Coma Berenices
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