NGC 5861
NGC 5861 by PanSTARRS
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationLibra
Right ascension15h 09m 16.1s[1]
Declination−11° 19′ 18″[1]
Redshift1851 ± 1 km/s[1]
Distance84 Mly (25.9 Mpc)[1]
Apparent magnitude (V)11.6
Characteristics
TypeSAB(rs)c [1]
Apparent size (V)3.0′ × 1.7′[1]
Other designations
MCG -02-39-003, IRAS 15065-1107, PGC 54097[1]

NGC 5861 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in constellation Libra. It is located at a distance of about 85 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 5861 is about 80,000 light years across.

Center image by Hubble Space Telescope

The galaxy features two long spiral arms that dominate the optical disk.[2] The one arm can be traced from its beginning at the center for nearly one and a half revolutions without branching, whereas the other starts to form fragments after one revolution, forming a moderately chaotic pattern.[3] The galaxy hosts a hydroxyl megamaser.[4]

Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 5861: SN 1971D and SN 2017erp. Observations by Hubble Space Telescope indicate that possibly there is a light echo created by SN 1971D.[5]

NGC 5861 is the foremost member of a small galaxy group that also includes NGC 5858, which lies 9.6 arcmin north, forming a non-interactive pair.[6] It is located within the same galaxy cloud with NGC 5878.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 5861. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
  2. ^ edited by David L. Block, Ivânio Puerari, Alan Stockton, Dewet Ferreira (2000). Toward a New Millennium in Galaxy Morphology. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. p. 16. ISBN 978-9401141147. ((cite book)): |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Sandage, A.; Bedke, J. (1994). The Carnegie Atlas of Galaxies. Volume I. Carnegie Institution of Washington.
  4. ^ Darling, Jeremy; Giovanelli, Riccardo (July 2002). "A Search for OH Megamasers at z > 0.1. III. The Complete Survey". The Astrophysical Journal. 124 (1): 100–126. arXiv:astro-ph/0205185. Bibcode:2002AJ....124..100D. doi:10.1086/341166. S2CID 7340232.
  5. ^ Boffi, F. R.; Sparks, W. B.; Macchetto, F. D. (15 August 1999). "A search for candidate light echoes: Photometry ofsupernova environments". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series. 138 (2): 253–266. arXiv:astro-ph/9906206. Bibcode:1999A&AS..138..253B. doi:10.1051/aas:1999274. S2CID 17688690. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  6. ^ de Vaucouleurs, G., de Vaucouleurs, A., and Corwin, H.G. (1976). Second Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies. Austin: University of Texas Press.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Makarov, Dmitry; Karachentsev, Igor (21 April 2011). "Galaxy groups and clouds in the local (z~ 0.01) Universe". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 412 (4): 2498–2520. arXiv:1011.6277. Bibcode:2011MNRAS.412.2498M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.18071.x. S2CID 119194025. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2017.

External links


New General Catalogue 5500 to 5999
Constellation of Libra
Categories