NGC 5253 | |
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Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Centaurus |
Right ascension | 13h 39m 55.9631s[2] |
Declination | −31° 38′ 24.388″[2] |
Redshift | 407 ± 3 km/s[2] |
Distance | 10.9 ± 0.6 Mly (3.33 ± 0.17 Mpc)[3] |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.9[2] |
Characteristics | |
Type | Im pec[2] |
Apparent size (V) | 5.0′ × 1.9′[2] |
Other designations | |
UGCA 369,[2] PGC 48334,[2] Haro 10[2] |
NGC 5253 is an irregular galaxy in the constellation Centaurus. It was discovered by William Herschel on 15 March 1787.[4]
NGC 5253 is located within the M83 Subgroup of the Centaurus A/M83 Group, a relatively nearby galaxy group that includes the radio galaxy Centaurus A and the spiral galaxy M83 (the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy). NGC 5253 is considered a dwarf starburst galaxy[5] and also a blue compact galaxy.[6]
Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 5253. SN 1895B (type unknown, mag. 8) was discovered on 7 July 1895.[7] Supernova SN 1972E, the second-brightest recent supernova visible from Earth (peak visual magnitude of 8.5, fainter only than SN 1987A in the 20th century), was discovered on 6 May 1972.[8][9]
NGC 5253 contains a giant dust cloud hiding a cluster (believed to be a super star cluster) of more than one million stars, among them up to 7,000 O-type stars. The cluster is 3 million years old and has a total luminosity of more than one billion suns. It is the site of efficient star formation, with a rate at least 10 times higher than comparable regions in the Milky Way.[10][11]