Jump to content

Messier 99

Coordinates: Sky map 12h 18m 49.6s, +14° 24′ 59″
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by OAbot (talk | contribs) at 01:04, 12 April 2020 (Open access bot: doi added to citation with #oabot.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Messier 99
Spiral Galaxy M99 taken at the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter using the 0.8m Schulman Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationComa Berenices[1]
Right ascension12h 18m 49.625s[2]
Declination+14° 24′ 59.36″[2]
Redshift0.008029[3]
Heliocentric radial velocity2,404 km/s[4]
Distance45.2 Mly (13.87 Mpc)[4]
Group or clusterVirgo Cluster[5]
Apparent magnitude (V)10.4[3]
Characteristics
TypeSA(s)c[6]
Apparent size (V)5.4′ × 4.7′[3]
Other designations
Coma Pinwheel Galaxy, Virgo Cluster Pinwheel, M99, NGC 4254, PGC 39578, UGC 7345[7]

Messier 99 or M99, also known as NGC 4254, is a grand design spiral galaxy in the northern constellation Coma Berenices approximately 15 megaparsecs (49 megalight-years) in distance from the Milky Way.[4] It was discovered by Pierre Méchain on March 17, 1781. The discovery was then reported to Charles Messier, who included the object in the Messier Catalogue of comet-like objects. Messier 99 was one of the first galaxies in which a spiral pattern was seen. This pattern was first identified by Lord Rosse in the spring of 1846.[8]

This galaxy has a morphological classification of SA(s)c,[6] indicating a pure spiral shape with loosely wound arms. It has a peculiar shape with one normal looking arm and an extended arm that is less tightly wound. The galaxy is inclined by 42° to the line-of-sight with a major axis position angle of 68°.[5] Four supernovae have been observed in this galaxy: SN 1967H (type II),[9] 1972Q, 1986I (type II),[10] and 2014L (type Ic).[11]

A bridge of neutral hydrogen gas links NGC 4254 with VIRGOHI21, an HI region and a possible dark galaxy. The gravity from the latter may have distorted M99 and drawn out the gas bridge, as the two galaxy-sized objects may have had a close encounter before they went their separate ways. However, VIRGOHI21 may instead be tidal debris from an interaction with the lenticular galaxy NGC 4262 some 280 million years ago.[5] It is expected that the drawn out arm will relax to match the normal arm once the encounter is over.

While not classified as a starburst galaxy, M99 has a star formation activity three times larger than other galaxies of similar Hubble type that may have been triggered by the encounter.[12] M99 is likely entering the Virgo Cluster for the first time and is located at the periphery of the cluster at a projected separation of 3.7°, or around one megaparsec, from the cluster center at Messier 87. The galaxy is undergoing ram-pressure stripping as it moves through the intracluster medium.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dreyer, J. L. E. (1988). Sinnott, R. W. (ed.). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters. Sky Publishing Corporation/Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-933346-51-2.
  2. ^ a b Skrutskie, M. F.; et al. (February 2006), "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)", The Astronomical Journal, 131 (2): 1163–1183, Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S, doi:10.1086/498708.
  3. ^ a b c "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4254. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  4. ^ a b c Tully, R. Brent; et al. (August 2016), "Cosmicflows-3", The Astronomical Journal, 152 (2): 21, arXiv:1605.01765, Bibcode:2016AJ....152...50T, doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/2/50, 50.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  5. ^ a b c d Vollmer, B.; Huchtmeier, W.; van Driel, W. (September 2005). "NGC 4254: a spiral galaxy entering the Virgo cluster". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 439 (3): 921–933. arXiv:astro-ph/0505021. Bibcode:2005A&A...439..921V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041350.
  6. ^ a b de Vaucouleurs, G.; et al. (1991), Third reference catalogue of bright galaxies, 9, New York: Springer-Verlag.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "M 99". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  8. ^ Jones, K. G. (1991). Messier's Nebulae and Star Clusters (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-37079-0.
  9. ^ Fairall, A. P. (August 1975), "The spectrum of the type II supernova 1967h in NGC 4254", Monthly Notes of the Astronomical Society of South Africa, 34 (7–8): 94–98, Bibcode:1975MNSSA..34...94F
  10. ^ Penhallow, W. S.; et al. (June 1986), Marsden, B. G. (ed.), "Supernova 1986I in NGC 4254", IAU Circular, 4225 (2): 2, Bibcode:1986IAUC.4225....2P
  11. ^ "List of Supernovae", Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, IAU, retrieved 2018-12-19
  12. ^ Chyży, K. T.; Ehle, M.; Beck, R. (September 2007). "Magnetic fields and gas in the cluster-influenced spiral galaxy NGC 4254. I. Radio and X-rays observations". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 474 (2): 415–429. arXiv:0708.1533. Bibcode:2007A&A...474..415C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077497.
  13. ^ "A Bright Spark in a Nearby Spiral Galaxy". ESA/Hubble Picture of the Week. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Messier 99.


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Messier_99&oldid=950424589"