NGC 2623

NGC 2623
Hubble image of NGC 2623.
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
Constellation Cancer[1]
Right ascension 08h 38m 24.093s[2]
Declination +25° 45′ 16.70″[2]
Redshift 0.01847[3]
Helio radial velocity 5486 km/s[4]
Distance 250 mly[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 13.36[5]
Apparent magnitude (B) 13.99[5]
Characteristics
Type SABcd[5]
Other designations
NGC 2623, PGC 24288, MCG+04-21-009, UGC 4509, Arp 243[4]

NGC 2623 is a galaxy in the constellation of Cancer.[1] It gained its unusual and distinctive shape as the result of a major collision and subsequent merger between two separate galaxies.[1] This violent encounter caused clouds of gas within the two galaxies to become compressed and stirred up, in turn triggering a sharp spike of star formation.[1] This active star formation is marked by speckled patches of bright blue; these can be seen clustered both in the center and along the trails of dust and gas forming NGC 2623’s sweeping curves (known as tidal tails).[1] These tails extend for roughly 50,000 light-years from end to end.[1] Many young, hot, newborn stars form in bright stellar clusters — at least 170 such clusters are known to exist within NGC 2623.[1]

NGC 2623 is in a late stage of merging.[1] It is thought that the Milky Way will eventually resemble NGC 2623 when it collides with our neighboring galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, in 4 billion years' time.[1]

NGC 2623 was discovered on January 19, 1885, by the French astronomer Édouard Jean-Marie Stephan.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Hubble Unravels a Twisted Cosmic Knot". NASA. 23 October 2017.
  2. 1 2 Skrutskie, M.; et al. (2006). "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)". The Astronomical Journal. 131 (2): 1163–1183. Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S. doi:10.1086/498708.
  3. ↑ Adelman-McCarthy, J. K.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: The SDSS Photometric Catalog, Release 7". VizieR On-line Data Catalog. Bibcode:2009yCat.2294....0A.
  4. 1 2 "NGC 2623". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Gil de Paz, Armando; et al. (December 2007). "The GALEX Ultraviolet Atlas of Nearby Galaxies". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 173 (2): 185–255. arXiv:astro-ph/0606440. Bibcode:2007ApJS..173..185G. doi:10.1086/516636.
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