IC 3583
| IC 3583 | |
|---|---|
 Hubble Space Telescope image of IC 3583 | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 36.4m [1] |
| Declination | −13° 15′[1] |
| Distance | 9.1 megaparsecs (30 Mly) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.3[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Irr[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 2.2′ × 1.1′[1] (33,000 light-years in diameter) |
| Notable features | Forms a pair with Messier 90 |
| Other designations | |
| Arp 76, IRAS 12341+1332, MCG 2-32-154, PGC 42081, UGC 7784 | |
IC 3583 is an irregular galaxy some 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. It was discovered by Isaac Roberts on April 29, 1892.
It may seem to have no discernable structure, but IC 3583 has been found to have a bar of stars running through its centre. These structures are common throughout the Universe, and are found within the majority of spiral, many irregular, and some lenticular galaxies. Two of our closest cosmic neighbours, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, are barred, indicating that they may have once been barred spiral galaxies that were disrupted or torn apart by the gravitational pull of the Milky Way.[2]
Something similar might be happening with IC 3583. This small galaxy is thought to be gravitationally interacting with one of its neighbours, the spiral Messier 90. Together, the duo form a pairing known as Arp 76. It’s still unclear whether these flirtations are the cause of IC 3583’s irregular appearance.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e Dunlop, Storm (2005). Atlas of the Night Sky. Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-717223-8.
- ^ a b "Spotlight on IC 3583". ESA/Hubble. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
External links
Media related to IC 3583 at Wikimedia Commons
