Eyes Galaxies

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Eyes Galaxies
NGC4438-NGC4435-eso1131a.jpg
NGC 4438 (top) and NGC 4435 (bottom) taken by the FORS2 instrument of the Very Large Telescope in 2011
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 27m 45.6s(J2000)
Declination +13° 00' 31" (J2000)
Redshift 0.002638/0.000237
Distance 52 million ly
Apparent magnitude  (V)+10
Absolute magnitude  (V)12
Characteristics
Type SB0/SA(s)O/a pec
Apparent size  (V)2.35 × 1.43/8.5 × 3.2
Notable featuresInteracting
Other designations
NGC 4435-8, Arp 120, VV 188 VCC 1030, VCC 1043

The Eyes Galaxies (NGC 4435-NGC 4438, also known as Arp 120) are a pair of galaxies about 52 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The pair are members of the string of galaxies known as Markarian's Chain.

Contents

NGC 4435

NGC 4435 is a barred lenticular galaxy currently interacting with NGC 4438. Studies of the galaxy by the Spitzer Space Telescope revealed a relatively young (190 million years) stellar population within the galaxy's nucleus, which may have originated through the interaction with NGC 4438 compressing gas and dust in that region, triggering a starburst. [1] It also appears to have a long tidal tail possibly caused by the interaction; [2] however, other studies suggest the apparent tail is actually foreground galactic cirrus within the Milky Way unrelated to NGC 4435. [3]

NGC 4438

NGC 4438 is the most curious interacting galaxy in the Virgo Cluster, due to the uncertainty surrounding the energy mechanism that heats the nuclear source; this energy mechanism may be a starburst region, or a black hole-powered active galactic nucleus (AGN). Both hypotheses are currently under investigation by astronomers.

This galaxy shows a highly distorted disk, including long tidal tails due to the gravitational interactions with other galaxies in the cluster and its companion. The aforementioned features explain why sources differ as to its classification, defining it either as a lenticular or spiral galaxy. NGC 4438 also shows signs of a past, extended - but modest - starburst, [4] a considerable deficiency of neutral hydrogen, as well as a displacement of the components of its interstellar medium - atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, interstellar dust, and hot gas - in the direction of NGC 4435. This observation suggests both a tidal interaction with NGC 4435 and the effects of ram-pressure stripping [5] as NGC 4438 moves at high speed through Virgo's intracluster medium, increased by the encounter between both galaxies. [6] [7]

As interacting galaxies

NGC 4435-NGC 4438 in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies ESO-M87.jpg
NGC 4435-NGC 4438 in the Virgo Cluster of galaxies

While there is evidence to suggest that the environmental damage to the interstellar medium of NGC 4438 may have been caused by an off-center collision with NGC 4435 millions of years ago, a recent discovery of several filaments of ionized gas links NGC 4438 with the large neighboring elliptical galaxy Messier 86, [8] in addition to a discovery of gas and dust within M86 that may have been stripped from NGC 4438 during a past encounter between the two. [9] [10] Given the high density of galaxies in the center of the Virgo galaxy cluster, it is possible that the three galaxies, NGC 4435, NGC 4438, and M86, have had past interactions. [11]

In the 2014 film Interstellar , "NGC 4438" along with specific observation data can be seen in Murphy Cooper (Jessica Chastain)'s notepad during the film's climactic sequence. As the presence of a supermassive black hole in the AGC of NGC 4438 is one of two leading theories, the galaxy is potentially that accessed by the wormhole in the film.

Related Research Articles

<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 86</span> Elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo

Messier 86 is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781. M86 lies in the heart of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and forms a most conspicuous group with another large galaxy known as Messier 84. It displays the highest blue shift of all Messier objects, as it is, net of its other vectors of travel, approaching the Milky Way at 244 km/s. This is due to both galaxies falling roughly towards the center of the Virgo cluster from opposing ends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 90</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

Messier 90 is an intermediate spiral galaxy exhibiting a weak inner ring structure about 60 million light-years away[a] in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781.

VIRGOHI21 is an extended region of neutral hydrogen (HI) in the Virgo cluster discovered in 2005. Analysis of its internal motion indicates that it may contain a large amount of dark matter, as much as a small galaxy. Since VIRGOHI21 apparently contains no stars, this would make it one of the first detected dark galaxies. Skeptics of this interpretation argue that VIRGOHI21 is simply a tidal tail of the nearby galaxy NGC 4254.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interacting galaxy</span> Galaxies with interacting gravitational fields

Interacting galaxies are galaxies whose gravitational fields result in a disturbance of one another. An example of a minor interaction is a satellite galaxy disturbing the primary galaxy's spiral arms. An example of a major interaction is a galactic collision, which may lead to a galaxy merger.

<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 on 10 May 1826 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">NGC 4262</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4262 is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation of Coma Berenices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4388</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4388 is an active spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered April 17, 1784 by Wilhelm Herschel. This galaxy is located at a distance of 57 million light years and is receding with a radial velocity of 2,524km/s. It is one of the brightest galaxies of the Virgo Cluster due to its luminous nucleus. NGC 4388 is located 1.3° to the west of the cluster center, which translates to a projected distance of ≈400 kpc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4178</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4178 is the New General Catalogue identifier for a barred spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It was discovered April 11, 1825 by English astronomer John Herschel. Located some 43.8 million light years away, this galaxy spans 2.3 × 0.4 arc minutes and is seen at a low angle, being inclined by 77° to the line of sight from the Earth. The morphological classification of NGC 4178 is SB(rs)dm, indicating that it has a bar feature at the core, and, per the '(rs)', has traces of a ring-like structure surrounding the bar. The 'dm' suffix indicates the spiral arms are diffuse, broken, and irregular in appearance with no bulge at the nucleus. This galaxy is a member of the Virgo Cluster, which is the richest nearby group of galaxies outside the Local Group and forms the core of the Virgo Supercluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4457</span> Galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4457 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation of Virgo. It is also classified as a LINER galaxy, a class of active galaxy defined by their spectral line emissions. NGC 4457 Is inclined by about 33°. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on February 23, 1784. Despite being listed in the Virgo Cluster Catalog as VCC 1145, NGC 4457 is a member of the Virgo II Groups which form an extension of the Virgo cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4522</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4522 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located about 60 million light-years away within the Virgo Cluster in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4522 is losing its molecular gas though ram-pressure stripping as it plows though the cluster at a speed of more than 10 million kilometres per hour. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on January 18, 1828.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4660</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4660 is an elliptical galaxy located about 63 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784 and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4294</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4294 is a barred spiral galaxy with flocculent spiral arms located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784 and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4298</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4298 is a flocculent spiral galaxy located about 53 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy 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 4299</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4299 is a featureless spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784 and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<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 4305</span> Dwarf spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4305 is a dwarf spiral galaxy located about 100 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on May 2, 1829. Although considered to be a member of the Virgo Cluster, its high radial velocity and blue luminosity suggest it is in fact a background galaxy. The galaxy has a nearby major companion; NGC 4306.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4320</span> Peculiar galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4320, is a peculiar galaxy located about 370 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer Heinrich d'Arrest on April 15, 1865 and is a member of the NGC 4325 Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4365</span> Elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4365 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by William Herschel on April 13, 1784.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4324</span> Galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4324 is a lenticular galaxy located about 85 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer Heinrich d'Arrest on March 4, 1862. NGC 4324 has a stellar mass of 5.62 × 1010M☉, and a baryonic mass of 5.88 × 1010M☉. The galaxy's total mass is around 5.25 × 1011M☉. NGC 4324 is notable for having a ring of star formation surrounding its nucleus. It was considered a member of the Virgo II Groups until 1999, when its distance was recalculated and it was placed in the Virgo W Group.

References

  1. ↑ Panuzzo, P.; Vega, O.; Bressan, A.; Buson, L.; et al. (2007). "The Star Formation History of the Virgo Early-Type Galaxy NGC 4435: The Spitzer Mid-Infrared View". The Astrophysical Journal. 656 (1): 206–216. arXiv: astro-ph/0610316 . Bibcode:2007ApJ...656..206P. doi:10.1086/510147. S2CID   14509466.
  2. ↑ The Tail of NGC 4435
  3. ↑ Cortese, L.; Bendo, G. J.; Isaak, K. G.; Davies, J. I.; et al. (2010). "Diffuse far-infrared and ultraviolet emission in the NGC 4435/4438 system: tidal stream or Galactic cirrus?". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters . 403 (1): L26 –L30. arXiv: 1001.0980 . Bibcode:2010MNRAS.403L..26C. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00808.x . S2CID   118358744.
  4. ↑ Boselli, A.; Boissier, S.; Cortese, L.; Gil de Paz, A.; et al. (2005). "GALEX Ultraviolet Observations of the Interacting Galaxy NGC 4438 in the Virgo Cluster". The Astrophysical Journal. 623 (1): L13–L16. arXiv: astro-ph/0502040 . Bibcode:2005ApJ...623L..13B. doi:10.1086/429377. S2CID   16771650.
  5. ↑ Vollmer, B.; Soida, M.; Chung, A.; Chemin, L.; et al. (2009). "Ram pressure stripping of the multiphase ISM in the Virgo cluster spiral galaxy NGC 4438". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 496 (3): 669–675. arXiv: 0901.2770 . Bibcode:2009A&A...496..669V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200811140. S2CID   15686123.
  6. ↑ Combes, F.; Dupraz, C.; Casoli, F.; Pagani, L. (1988). "CO emission in NGC 4438 - A case for tidal stripping?". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 203 (1): L9 –L12. Bibcode:1988A&A...203L...9C.
  7. ↑ Vollmer, B.; Braine, J.; Combes, F.; Sofue, Y. (2005). "New CO observations and simulations of the NGC 4438/NGC 4435 system. Interaction diagnostics of the Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4438". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 441 (2): 473–489. arXiv: astro-ph/0507252 . Bibcode:2005A&A...441..473V. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041389. S2CID   8506380.
  8. ↑ Kenney, Jeffrey D. P.; Tal, Tomer; Crowl, Hugh H.; Feldmeier, John; et al. (2008). "A Spectacular Hα Complex in Virgo: Evidence for a Collision between M86 and NGC 4438 and Implications for the Collisional ISM Heating of Ellipticals". The Astrophysical Journal. 687 (2): L69–L94. arXiv: 0810.0711 . Bibcode:2008ApJ...687L..69K. doi:10.1086/593300. S2CID   14277489.
  9. ↑ Gomez, H. L.; Baes, M.; Cortese, L.; Smith, M. W. L.; et al. (2010). "A Spectacular Hα Complex in Virgo: Evidence for a Collision between M86 and NGC 4438 and Implications for the Collisional ISM Heating of Ellipticals". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 518: L45. arXiv: 1005.1597 . Bibcode:2010A&A...518L..45G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201014530. S2CID   14563125. L45.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ↑ "Big Galaxy Collisions Can Stunt Star Formation" (Press release). National Optical Astronomy Observatory. October 7, 2008. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ David Darling. "The Eyes (NGC 4435 and 4438)". Encyclopedia of Science.
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