NGC 4666

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NGC 4666
NGC 4666 - Eso1036a.jpg
The superwind galaxy NGC 4666
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 45m 08.676s [1]
Declination −00° 27′ 42.88″ [1]
Heliocentric radial velocity 1,517 km/s [2]
Distance 54.89 ± 0.65  Mly (16.83 ± 0.20  Mpc) [3]
Apparent magnitude  (V)10.8 [4]
Characteristics
Type SABc [2]
Apparent size  (V)4′.6 × 1'.3 [2]
Notable featuresStarburst
Other designations
NGC 4666, IRAS F12425-0011, MCG+00-33-008, MRC 1242-001, PMN J1245-0027, UGC 7926, UZC J124508.0-002744, PGC 42975 [5]

NGC 4666 is a spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo, located at a distance of approximately 55 megalight-years from the Milky Way. [3] It was discovered by the German-born astronomer William Herschel on February 22, 1784. It is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster. [6] John L. E. Dreyer described it as "bright, very large, much extended 45°±, pretty suddenly brighter middle". [7] It is a member of an interacting system with NGC 4668 and a dwarf galaxy, [8] and belongs to a small group that also includes NGC 4632. [2]

The morphological classification of this galaxy is SABc, which indicates a weak bar around the nucleus with moderately wound spiral arms. Viewed nearly edge-on, its galactic plane is inclined at an angle of 85°±2° to the line of sight from the Earth, with the major axis aligned along a position angle of 40°. There is an active galactic nucleus that shows a modest level of activity and is most likely heavily obscured by gas and dust. The central point source has been detected in the radio and X-ray bands. [2]

This is a starburst galaxy that is noteworthy for its vigorous star formation, which creates an unusual superwind [9] of out-flowing gas. This wind is not visible at optical wavelengths, but is prominent in X-rays, and has been observed by the ESA XMM-Newton space telescope. [10] The estimated star formation rate is 7.3  M☉  yr–1, with a density of 8.9×10−3 M☉ yr−1 kpc−2. Unlike in many other starburst galaxies, the star formation is spread across the disk rather than being more concentrated. [2]

Three supernovae have been observed in NGC 4666. On 23 May 1965, Enrique Chavira discovered SN 1965H (type IIP, mag. 14). [11] A type Ia supernova was detected in NGC 4666 on 9 December 2014; [12] [13] ASASSN-14lp is located 12″ from the center of NGC 4666. A type Ib supernova, SN 2019yvr, was detected on 27 December 2019. [14] It has a 0.005 redshift. Images of the location of the supernova before the explosion showed the progenitor star was ~19M☉. [15]

Enlarged view of the center of NGC 4666 by the Hubble Space Telescope NGC4666 - HST - Potw2141a.jpg
Enlarged view of the center of NGC 4666 by the Hubble Space Telescope

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supernova</span> Explosion of a star at its end of life

A supernova is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion. The original object, called the progenitor, either collapses to a neutron star or black hole, or is completely destroyed to form a diffuse nebula. The peak optical luminosity of a supernova can be comparable to that of an entire galaxy before fading over several weeks or months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 61</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

Messier 61 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. It was first discovered by Barnaba Oriani on May 5, 1779, six days before Charles Messier discovered the same galaxy. Messier had observed it on the same night as Oriani but had mistaken it for a comet. Its distance has been estimated to be 45.61 million light years from the Milky Way Galaxy. It is a member of the M61 Group of galaxies, which is a member of the Virgo II Groups, a series of galaxies and galaxy clusters strung out from the southern edge of the Virgo Supercluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 84</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

Messier 84 or M84, also known as NGC 4374, is a giant elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. Charles Messier discovered the object in 1781 in a systematic search for "nebulous objects" in the night sky. It is the 84th object in the Messier Catalogue and in the heavily populated core of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies, part of the local supercluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 95</span> Galaxy in the constellation Leo

Messier 95, also known as M95 or NGC 3351, is a barred spiral galaxy about 33 million light-years away in the zodiac constellation Leo. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781, and catalogued by compatriot Charles Messier four days later. In 2012 its most recent supernova was discovered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 99</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

Messier 99 or M99, also known as NGC 4254 or St. Catherine's Wheel, is a grand design spiral galaxy in the northern constellation Coma Berenices approximately 15,000,000 parsecs from the Milky Way. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain on 17 March 1781. The discovery was then reported to Charles Messier, who included the object in the Messier Catalogue of comet-like objects. It 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6946</span> Galaxy in the constellations Cepheus & Cygnus

NGC 6946, sometimes referred to as the Fireworks Galaxy, is a face-on intermediate spiral galaxy with a small bright nucleus, whose location in the sky straddles the boundary between the northern constellations of Cepheus and Cygnus. Its distance from Earth is about 25.2 million light-years or 7.72 megaparsecs, similar to the distance of M101 in the constellation Ursa Major. Both were once considered to be part of the Local Group, but are now known to be among the dozen bright spiral galaxies near the Milky Way but beyond the confines of the Local Group. NGC 6946 lies within the Virgo Supercluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 2005df</span> 2005 supernova event in the constellation Reticulum

SN 2005df was a Type Ia supernova in the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559, which is located in the southern constellation of Reticulum. The event was discovered in Australia by Robert Evans on the early morning of August 5, 2005 with a 13.8 magnitude, and was confirmed by A. Gilmore on August 6. The supernova was classified as Type Ia by M. Salvo and associates. It was positioned at an offset of 15.0″ east and 40.0″ north of the galaxy's nucleus, reaching a maximum brightness of 12.3 on August 18. The supernova luminosity appeared unreddened by dust from its host galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4639</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4639 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered by German-born astronomer William Herschel on April 12, 1784. John L. E. Dreyer described it as "pretty bright, small, extended, mottled but not resolved, 12th magnitude star 1 arcmin to southeast". This is a relatively nearby galaxy, lying approximately 72 million light-years away from the Milky Way. It is a companion to NGC 4654, and the two appear to have interacted roughly 500 million years ago. NGC 4639 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1808</span> Galaxy in the constellation Columba

NGC 1808 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the southern constellation of Columba, about two degrees to the south and east of Gamma Caeli. It was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, who described it as a "faint nebula". The galaxy is a member of the NGC 1808 group, which is part of the larger Dorado Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 2008ax</span> 2008 supernova event in constellation Canes Venatici

SN 2008ax was a helium-rich type Ib core-collapse supernova in the interacting galaxy NGC 4490. It was independently detected on 3 March 2008 by LOSS and 4 March by Koichi Itagaki. The site had been monitored six hours before discovery, thus constraining the time of the explosion breakout. It was the third-brightest supernova of 2008. The brightness in the B-band peaked about 20 days after the explosion. X-ray emissions were detected from the event, which are most likely the result of shock heating from the supernova ejecta and circumstellar material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SN 1998aq</span> Supernova in the constellation Ursa Major

SN 1998aq is a nearby supernova located in the intermediate spiral galaxy NGC 3982, offset 18″ west and 7″ of the galactic nucleus. It was discovered April 13, 1998 by amateur astronomer Mark Armstrong and was confirmed by fellow British amateur Ron Arbour; both members of the U.K. Supernova/Nova Patrol. The event was not visible on a prior check by Armstrong made April 7. It reached peak brightness on April 27, and 15 days later had declined by 1.14 magnitudes in the B (blue) band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 5806</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 5806 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered on February 24, 1786, by the astronomer John Herschel. It is located about 70 million light-years away from the Milky Way. It is a member of the NGC 5846 Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4866</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4866 is an unbarred lenticular galaxy located roughly 100 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was first observed by British astronomer Sir William Herschel on January 14, 1787. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4451</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4451 is a spiral galaxy in the equatorial Virgo constellation. It was discovered at the Copenhagen Observatory on March 19, 1865, by Heinrich d'Arrest, who used an 11" refractor telescope. The galaxy is located at a distance of 85 million light years and is receding with a heliocentric radial velocity of 862 km/s. It is a member of the Virgo cluster of galaxies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3631</span> Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

NGC 3631 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Ursa Major. It is located at a distance of about 35 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3631 is about 60,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on April 14, 1789. It is a grand design spiral galaxy seen face on.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2280</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Canis Major

NGC 2280 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canis Major. It is located at a distance of circa 75 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 2280 is about 135,000 light years across. It was discovered by John Herschel on February 1, 1835.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3367</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Leo

NGC 3367 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Leo. It is located at a distance of about 120 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 3367 is about 85,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on March 19, 1784.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6907</span> Galaxy in the constellation Capricornus

NGC 6907 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Capricornus. It is located at a distance of about 120 million light-years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 6907 is about 115,000 light-years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on July 12, 1784. The total infrared luminosity of the galaxy is 1011.03 L☉, and thus it is categorised as a luminous infrared galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4302</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4302 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 8, 1784 and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4316</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4316 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located about 70 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer Wilhelm Tempel on March 17, 1882. NGC 4316 is a member of the Virgo Cluster and is classified as LINER and as a Seyfert galaxy.

References

  1. 1 2 Skrutskie, Michael F.; Cutri, Roc M.; Stiening, Rae; Weinberg, Martin D.; Schneider, Stephen E.; Carpenter, John M.; Beichman, Charles A.; Capps, Richard W.; Chester, Thomas; Elias, Jonathan H.; Huchra, John P.; Liebert, James W.; Lonsdale, Carol J.; Monet, David G.; Price, Stephan; Seitzer, Patrick; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Gizis, John E.; Howard, Elizabeth V.; Evans, Tracey E.; Fowler, John W.; Fullmer, Linda; Hurt, Robert L.; Light, Robert M.; Kopan, Eugene L.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; McCallon, Howard L.; Tam, Robert; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Wheelock, Sherry L. (1 February 2006). "The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)". The Astronomical Journal. 131 (2): 1163–1183. Bibcode:2006AJ....131.1163S. doi: 10.1086/498708 . ISSN   0004-6256. S2CID   18913331.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stein, Y.; et al. (March 2019). "CHANG-ES. XIII. Transport processes and the magnetic fields of NGC 4666: indication of a reversing disk magnetic field". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 623: 21. arXiv: 1901.08090 . Bibcode:2019A&A...623A..33S. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834515. A33.
  3. 1 2 Tully, R. Brent; et al. (October 2013), "Cosmicflows-2: The Data", The Astronomical Journal, 146 (4): 25, arXiv: 1307.7213 , Bibcode:2013AJ....146...86T, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/146/4/86, S2CID   118494842, 86
  4. ↑ "The Interactive NGC Catalog Online". Results for NGC 4666. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
  5. ↑ "NGC 4666". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  6. ↑ "The Virgo III Groups". Atlas of the Universe. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
  7. ↑ Seligman, Courtney. "New General Catalogue objects: NGC 4650 - 4699". cseligman.com. Retrieved 2020-09-20.
  8. ↑ Walter, Fabian; et al. (May 2004). "The Superwind Galaxy NGC 4666: Gravitational Interactions and the Influence of the Resulting Starburst on the Interstellar Medium". The Astrophysical Journal. 606 (1): 258–270. Bibcode:2004ApJ...606..258W. doi: 10.1086/382774 .
  9. ↑ "The Superwind Galaxy". ESO. 1 September 2010.
  10. ↑ "Extra-planar Hot Gas and Magnetic Fields in the Superwind Galaxy NGC 4666". ESA. 24 February 2011. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  11. ↑ Transient Name Server entry for SN 1965H. Retrieved 23 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "ASAS-SN Discovery of A Bright Probable Supernova in NGC 4666". Astronomer's Telegram.
  13. ↑ "Supernovae ASASSN-14lp in NGC 4666". Rochester Astronomy.
  14. ↑ "SN 2019xvr". Transient Name Server.
  15. ↑ Kilpatrick, Charles; et al. (2021-03-30). "A Cool and Inflated Progenitor Candidate for the Type Ib Supernova 2019yvr at 2.6 Years Before Explosion". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 504 (2): 2073–2093. arXiv: 2101.03206 . doi: 10.1093/mnras/stab838 .
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