List of galaxies with richest globular cluster systems

Last updated

NGC 6166, galaxy with richest known globular cluster system Monster Galaxies Lose Their Appetite With Age 03.jpg
NGC 6166, galaxy with richest known globular cluster system

This is a list of galaxies with richest known globular cluster systems. As of 2019, the galaxy NGC 6166 has the richest globular cluster system, with 39 000 globular clusters. [1] Other galaxies with rich globular cluster systems are NGC 4874, NGC 4889, NGC 3311 and Messier 87. For comparison, the Milky Way has a poor globular cluster system, with only 150-180 globular clusters.

GalaxyImageNumber of globular clustersNotes
NGC 6166 Monster Galaxies Lose Their Appetite With Age 03.jpg 39 000 ± 2000 [1] Richest known globular cluster system
NGC 4874 NGC 4874 HST.jpg 18 700 ± 2260 [2] Richest globular cluster system in Coma cluster
NGC 3311 Color cutout hst 06554 03 wfpc2 f814w f555w pc sci NGC 3311.jpg 16 500 ± 2000 [3] Richest globular cluster system in southern part of the sky and in Hydra cluster
Messier 87 Messier 87 Hubble WikiSky.jpg 12 000 ± 800 [4] Richest globular cluster system in Virgo Supercluster and richest in Messier Catalog. Also richest within 100 million light-years. Data from 2006 survey
NGC 4889 Caldwell 35.jpg 11 000 ± 1340 [5] Largest galaxy in this list (diameter is about 1050 000 light-years)
IC 4051 IC4051 - SDSS DR14.jpg 6700 ± 530 [5] Richest globular cluster system in IC catalog
NGC 1395 NGC 1395 PanSTARRS1 z+r+g.jpg 6000 ± 1100Richest globular cluster system in Eridanus Cluster, divided into two populations (red and blue)
NGC 1399 NGC 1399 Hubble WikiSky.jpg 6000 ± 600Richest globular cluster system in Fornax Cluster, most clusters are given
Messier 49 Messier 49 Hubble WikiSky.jpg 5900
Messier 60 Messier 60 Hubble WikiSky.jpg 5100 [6]
Messier 86 Messier 86 Hubble WikiSky.jpg 3800Richest globular cluster system in Markarian's Chain
NGC 6861 The third way of galaxies.jpg 3000 ± 300 [7]
NGC 1600 Cutout HST 7886 22 NIC NIC2 total sci NGC 1600.jpg 2850
Messier 59 Messier59 - HST - Potw1921a.jpg 2200
Messier 89 Messier89 - HST - Potw1902a.tif 2000Data from 2006 survey
Messier 84 Messier 84 nucleus Hubble.jpg 1775 ± 150
Sombrero Galaxy M104 ngc4594 sombrero galaxy hi-res.jpg 1600 ± 400Richest globular cluster system around named galaxy
Centaurus A ESO Centaurus A LABOCA.jpg 1450 ± 160 [8]
NGC 4278 NGC4278 - HST - Judy Schmidt, cropped.png 1378+32
−194
NGC 4926 NGC4926 - SDSS DR14.jpg 1300 ± 300 [5]
Maffei 1 Maf1atlas.jpg 1100Closest galaxy in this list (distance is about 11 000 000 light-years)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local Group</span> Group of galaxies that includes the Milky Way

The Local Group is the galaxy group that includes the Milky Way. It has a total diameter of roughly 3 megaparsecs (10 million light-years; 9×1019 kilometres), and a total mass of the order of 2×1012 solar masses (4×1042 kg). It consists of two collections of galaxies in a "dumbbell" shape; the Milky Way and its satellites form one lobe, and the Andromeda Galaxy and its satellites constitute the other. The two collections are separated by about 800 kiloparsecs (3×10^6 ly; 2×1019 km) and are moving toward one another with a velocity of 123 km/s. The group itself is a part of the larger Virgo Supercluster, which may be a part of the Laniakea Supercluster. The exact number of galaxies in the Local Group is unknown as some are occluded by the Milky Way; however, at least 80 members are known, most of which are dwarf galaxies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 2</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius

Messier 2 or M2 is a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius, five degrees north of the star Beta Aquarii. It was discovered by Jean-Dominique Maraldi in 1746, and is one of the largest known globular clusters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 53</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices

Messier 53 is a globular cluster in the Coma Berenices constellation. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode in 1775. M53 is one of the more outlying globular clusters, being about 60,000 light-years (18.4 kpc) light-years away from the Galactic Center, and almost the same distance from the Solar System. The cluster has a core radius (rc) of 2.18 pc, a half-light radius (rh) of 5.84 pc, and a tidal radius (rtr) of 239.9 pc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 56</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Lyra

Messier 56 is a globular cluster in the constellation Lyra. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1779. It is angularly found about midway between Albireo and Sulafat. In a good night sky it is tricky to find with large (50–80 mm) binoculars, appearing as a slightly fuzzy star. The cluster can be resolved using a telescope with an aperture of 8 in (20 cm) or larger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 59</span> Elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo

Messier 59 or M59, also known as NGC 4621, is an elliptical galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Virgo. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster, with the nearest fellow member 8′ away and around 5 magnitudes fainter. The nearest cluster member of comparable brightness is the lenticular galaxy NGC 4638, which is around 17′ away. It and the angularly nearby elliptical galaxy Messier 60 were both discovered by Johann Gottfried Koehler in April 1779 when observing comet seeming close by. Charles Messier listed both in the Messier Catalogue about three days after Koehler's discovery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 62</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Ophiuchus

Messier 62 or M62, also known as NGC 6266, is a globular cluster of stars in the south of the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier, then added to his catalogue eight years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messier 75</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Sagittarius

Messier 75 or M75, also known as NGC 6864, is a giant globular cluster of stars in the southern constellation Sagittarius. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1780 and included in Charles Messier's catalog of comet-like objects that same year.

<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">NGC 2808</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Carina

NGC 2808 is a globular cluster in the constellation Carina. The cluster belongs to the Milky Way, and is one of our home galaxy's most massive clusters, containing more than a million stars. It is estimated to be 12.5-billion years old.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4323</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4323 is a lenticular or dwarf elliptical galaxy located about 52.5 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy was discovered in 1882 by astronomer Wilhelm Tempel and is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 5286</span> Globular cluster in the constellation Centaurus

NGC 5286 is a globular cluster of stars located some 35,900 light years away in the constellation Centaurus. At this distance, the light from the cluster has undergone reddening from interstellar gas and dust equal to E(B – V) = 0.24 magnitude in the UBV photometric system. The cluster lies 4 arc-minutes north of the naked-eye star M Centauri. It was discovered by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop, active in Australia, and listed in his 1827 catalog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 6166</span> Galaxy in the constellation Hercules

NGC 6166 is an elliptical galaxy in the Abell 2199 cluster. It lies 490 million light years away in the constellation Hercules. The primary galaxy in the cluster, it is one of the most luminous galaxies known in terms of X-ray emissions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1277</span> Galaxy in the constellation Perseus

NGC 1277 is a lenticular galaxy in the constellation of Perseus. It is a member of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies and is located approximately 73 Mpc (megaparsecs) or 220 million light-years from the Milky Way. It has an apparent magnitude of about 14.7. It was discovered on December 4, 1875 by Lawrence Parsons, 4th Earl of Rosse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3309</span> Galaxy in the constellation Hydra

NGC 3309 is a giant elliptical galaxy located about 200 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. NGC 3309 was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on March 24, 1835. The galaxy forms a pair with NGC 3311 which lies about 72,000 ly (22 kpc) away. Both galaxies dominate the center of the Hydra Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3311</span> Galaxy in the constellation Hydra

NGC 3311 is a super-giant elliptical galaxy located about 190 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on March 30, 1835. NGC 3311 is the brightest member of the Hydra Cluster and forms a pair with NGC 3309 which along with NGC 3311, dominate the central region of the Hydra Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 708</span> Galaxy in the constellation Andromeda

NGC 708 is an elliptical galaxy located 240 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda and was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on September 21, 1786. It is classified as a cD galaxy and is the brightest member of Abell 262. NGC 708 is a weak FR I radio galaxy and is also classified as a type 2 Seyfert galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 1395</span> Galaxy in the constellation Eridanus

NGC 1395 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Eridanus. It is located at a distance of circa 75 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 1395 is about 130,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on November 17, 1784. It is a member of the Eridanus Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4636</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4636 is an elliptical galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. It is a member of the NGC 4753 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. It is located at a distance of about 55 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 4636 is about 105,000 light years across.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4318</span> Galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4318 is a small lenticular galaxy located about 72 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on January 18, 1828. NGC 4318 is a member of the Virgo W′ group, a group of galaxies in the background of the Virgo Cluster that is centered on the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4365.

References

  1. 1 2 Harris, William E.; Blakeslee, John P.; Whitmore, Bradley C.; Gnedin, Oleg Y.; Geisler, Douglas; Rothberg, Barry (January 2016). "Globular Cluster Systems in Brightest Cluster Galaxies. Ii. NGC 6166". The Astrophysical Journal. 817 (1): 58. arXiv: 1511.08493 . Bibcode:2016ApJ...817...58H. doi: 10.3847/0004-637X/817/1/58 . ISSN   0004-637X. S2CID   118501801.
  2. ↑ "Galaxies in a swarm of star clusters". www.spacetelescope.org.
  3. ↑ Woodley, Kristin A.; Rothberg, Barry; Whitmore, Bradley C.; Harris, William E.; Wehner, Elizabeth M. H. (July 10, 2008). "The Globular Cluster Systems around NGC 3311 and NGC 3309". The Astrophysical Journal. 681 (2): 1233. arXiv: 0802.1723 . Bibcode:2008ApJ...681.1233W. doi: 10.1086/587433 .
  4. ↑ Tamura, N.; Sharples, R. M.; Arimoto, N.; Onodera, M.; Ohta, K.; Yamada, Y. (2006-12-01). "A Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field survey of globular cluster populations around M87 - I. Observation, data analysis and luminosity function". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 373 (2): 588–600. arXiv: astro-ph/0609067 . Bibcode:2006MNRAS.373..588T. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11067.x . ISSN   0035-8711.
  5. 1 2 3 Harris, William E.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Hanes, David A.; Pritchet, Christopher J.; Baum, W. A. (2009-02-01). "The Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Ellipticals. Iv: Wfpc2 Photometry for Five Giant Ellipticals". The Astronomical Journal. 137 (2): 3314–3328. arXiv: 0811.1437 . Bibcode:2009AJ....137.3314H. doi: 10.1088/0004-6256/137/2/3314 . ISSN   0004-6256.
  6. ↑ "Messier Object 60". www.messier.seds.org.
  7. ↑ "The extremely populated globular cluster system of the lenticular galaxy NGC 6861". ResearchGate.
  8. ↑ Hughes, Allison K.; Sand, David J.; Seth, Anil; Strader, Jay; Voggel, Karina; Dumont, Antoine; Crnojević, Denija; Caldwell, Nelson; Forbes, Duncan A.; Simon, Joshua D.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Toloba, Elisa (2021). "NGC 5128 Globular Cluster Candidates Out to 150 KPC: A Comprehensive Catalog from Gaia and Ground-based Data". The Astrophysical Journal. 914 (1): 16. arXiv: 2104.02719 . Bibcode:2021ApJ...914...16H. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/abf63c . S2CID   233168727.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.