Messier 100

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Messier 100
Messier 100 -- Grand Design Splendour.jpg
Galaxy Messier 100 by ESO revealing complex spiral arm structure
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Coma Berenices [1]
Right ascension 12h 22m 54.9s [2]
Declination +15° 49′ 21″ [2]
Redshift 1571 ± 1 km/s [2]
Distance 55 Mly [3]
Group or cluster Virgo Cluster
Apparent magnitude  (V)9.3 [4]
Characteristics
Type SAB(s)bc [2]
Size107,000 ly (diameter)
Apparent size  (V)7′.4 × 6′.3 [2]
Other designations
NGC 4321

Messier 100 (also known as NGC 4321 or the Mirror Galaxy) is a grand design intermediate spiral galaxy in the southern part of the mildly northern Coma Berenices. [5] It is one of the brightest and largest galaxies in the Virgo Cluster and is approximately 55 million light-years [3] from our galaxy, its diameter being 107,000 light years, and being about 60% as large. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in 1781 [lower-alpha 1] and 29 days later seen again and entered by Charles Messier in his catalogue "of nebulae and star clusters". [6] [7] It was one of the first spiral galaxies to be discovered, [7] and was listed as one of fourteen spiral nebulae by Lord William Parsons of Rosse in 1850. NGC 4323 and NGC 4328 are satellite galaxies of M100; the former is connected with it by a bridge of luminous matter. [8] [9]

Contents

Early observations

After the discovery of M100 by Méchain, Charles Messier made observations of the galaxy depicting it as a nebula without a star. He pointed out that it was difficult [7] to recognize the nebula because of its faintness. William Herschel was able to identify a bright cluster of stars [7] within the "nebula" during his observations. His son John expanded the findings in 1833. With the advent of better telescopes, John Herschel was able to see a round, brighter galaxy; however, he also mentioned that it was barely visible through clouds. William Henry Smyth [7] extended the studies of M100, detailing it as a pearly white nebula and pointing out diffuse spots.

Star formation

Messier 100 is considered a starburst galaxy [10] with the strongest star formation activity concentrated in its center, within a ring – actually two tightly wound spiral arms attached to a small nuclear bar of radius: one thousand parsecs [11] – where star formation has been taking place for at least 500 million years in separate bursts. [12]

As usual on spiral galaxies of the Virgo Cluster, in the rest of the disk both star formation [13] and neutral hydrogen, of which M100 is deficient compared to isolated spiral galaxies of similar Hubble type, [14] are truncated within the galaxy's disk, which is caused by interactions with the intracluster medium of Virgo.

Supernovae

Seven supernovae have been identified in M100. [5]

See also

References and footnotes

  1. ↑ R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation/Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0-933346-51-2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4321. Retrieved 2006-08-31.
  3. 1 2 "Messier 100". Hearst Observatory . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  4. ↑ "Messier 100". SEDS Messier Catalog. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Messier 100". SEDS: Spiral Galaxy M100 (NGC 4321), type Sc, in Coma Berenices. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  6. ↑ "Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters". SEDS . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Messier 100". SEDS: Observations and Descriptions. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  8. ↑ S. di Serego Alighieri; et al. (2007). "The HI content of Early-Type Galaxies from the ALFALFA survey I. Catalogued HI sources in the Virgo cluster". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 474 (3): 851–855. arXiv: 0709.2096 . Bibcode:2007A&A...474..851D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078205. S2CID   5332365.
  9. ↑ "NGC 4323". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  10. ↑ Wozniak, H.; Friedli, D.; Martinet, L.; Pfenniger, D. (1999). "Double-barred starburst galaxies viewed by ISOCAM". The Universe as Seen by ISO. 427: 989. Bibcode:1999ESASP.427..989W.
  11. ↑ Sakamoto, Kazushi; Okumura, Sachiko; Minezaki, Takeo; Kobayashi, Yukiyasu; et al. (1995). "Bar-Driven Gas Structure and Star Formation in the Center of M100". The Astronomical Journal. 110 (3): 2075. Bibcode:1995AJ....110.2075S. doi:10.1086/117670.
  12. ↑ Allard, E. L.; Knapen, J. H.; Peletier, R. F.; Sarzi, M. (2006). "The star formation history and evolution of the circumnuclear region of M100". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 371 (3): 1087–1105. arXiv: astro-ph/0606490 . Bibcode:2006MNRAS.371.1087A. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10751.x . S2CID   119370091.
  13. ↑ R. A. Koopmann; J. D. P. Kenney (2004). "Hα Morphologies and Environmental Effects in Virgo Cluster Spiral Galaxies". Astrophysical Journal . 613 (2): 866–885. arXiv: astro-ph/0406243 . Bibcode:2004ApJ...613..866K. doi:10.1086/423191. S2CID   17519217.
  14. ↑ Chung, A.; Van Gorkom, J.H.; Kenney, J.F.P.; Crowl, Hugh; et al. (2009). "VLA Imaging of Virgo Spirals in Atomic Gas (VIVA). I. The Atlas and the H I Properties". The Astronomical Journal. 138 (6): 1741–1816. Bibcode:2009AJ....138.1741C. doi: 10.1088/0004-6256/138/6/1741 .
  15. ↑ "SN 1901B". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  16. ↑ "SN 1914A". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  17. ↑ "SN 1959E". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  18. ↑ "SN 1979C". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  19. ↑ "SN 2006X". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  20. ↑ "SN 2020oi". SIMBAD . Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg . Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  1. ↑ On March 15
  2. ↑ February 21 to June 17

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