NGC 300

Last updated
NGC 300
View of the southern spiral NGC 300.jpg
Image of NGC 300 from ESO's La Silla Observatory
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Sculptor
Right ascension 00h 54m 53.5s [1]
Declination −37° 41′ 04″ [1]
Redshift 144 ± 1 km/s [1]
Distance 6.07 ± 0.23 Mly (1.86 ± 0.07 Mpc) [2] [a]
Apparent magnitude  (V)9.0 [1]
Characteristics
Type SA(s)d [1]
Mass (2.9 ± 0.2) × 1010  M☉
Apparent size  (V)21.9′ × 15.5′ [1] (94,000 light-years in diameter)
Other designations
PGC 3238 [1] Caldwell 70

NGC 300 (also known as Caldwell 70) is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, and probably lies between the latter and the Sculptor Group. It is the brightest of the five main spirals in the direction of the Sculptor Group. [2] It is inclined at an angle of 42° when viewed from Earth and shares many characteristics of the Triangulum Galaxy. [3] It is 94,000 light-years in diameter, somewhat smaller than the Milky Way, and has an estimated mass of (2.9 ± 0.2) × 1010M☉. [4] [5]

Contents

Nearby galaxies and group information

NGC 300 and the irregular galaxy NGC 55 have traditionally been identified as members of the Sculptor Group, a nearby group of galaxies in the constellation of the same name. However, recent distance measurements indicate that these two galaxies actually lie in the foreground. [6] It is likely that NGC 300 and NGC 55 form a gravitationally bound pair. [7]

Distance estimates

In 1986, Allan Sandage estimated the distance to NGC 300 to be 5.41  Mly (1.66  Mpc). [8] By 1992, this had been updated to 6.9 Mly (2.1 Mpc) by Freedman et al. [2] In 2006, this was revised by Karachentsev et al. to be 7.0±0.3 Mly (2.15±0.10 Mpc). [9] At about the same time, the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method was used to produce an estimate of 5.9±0.4 Mly (1.82±0.13 Mpc) using edge detection and 6.1±0.4 Mly (1.87±0.12 Mpc) using maximum likelihood. [2] These results were consistent with estimates using near-infrared photometry of Cepheid variables by Gieren et al. 2005 that provided an estimate of 6.1±0.2 Mly (1.88±0.07 Mpc). [2] Combining the recent TRGB and Cepheid estimates the distance to NGC 300 is estimated at 6.07±0.23 Mly (1.86±0.07 Mpc). [a]

NGC 300-OT

On a CCD image obtained on May 14, 2008, amateur astronomer L.A.G. Berto Monard discovered a bright optical transient (OT) in NGC 300 that is designated NGC 300-OT. [10] It is located at RA: 00h 54m 34.552s and DEC: −37° 38′ 31.79″ [11] in a spiral arm containing active star formation. [12] Its broad-band magnitude was 14.3 in that image. An earlier image (from April 24, 2008), taken just after NGC 300 reemerged from behind the Sun, evidenced an already brightening OT at ~16.3 magnitude. [12] No brightening was detected on a February 8, 2008 image or on any earlier ones. [12] The transient's peak measured magnitude was 14.69 on May 15, 2008. [12]

At discovery, the transient had an absolute magnitude of MV ≈ −13, making it faint in comparison to a typical core-collapse supernova but bright in comparison to a classical nova. [10] [12] Additionally, the photometric and spectroscopic properties of the OT imply that it is not a luminous blue variable either. [12] Since its peak, brightness dropped smoothly through September 2008 while becoming continuously redder. [12] After September 2008, brightness continued to fall at a lower rate in the optical spectrum but with strong Hα emissions. [12] Further, the optical spectrum is mostly made up of fairly narrow Hydrogen Balmer and Ca II emission lines coupled with strong Ca II H&K absorption. [10] Research into historical Hubble images provide an accurate upper bound on the progenitor star's brightness. [10] This suggested a low-mass main sequence star as progenitor with the transient resulting from a stellar merger similar to red Galactic nova V838 Monocerotis. [10] Analysis of historical images of the area of the OT suggest with 70% certainty that the progenitor formed in a burst of stars around 8–13 Myr ago and implies the progenitor's mass to be 12–25  M⊙ assuming the OT is due to an evolving massive star. [11]

NGC 300 zoom-in by the Hubble Space Telescope NGC 300 Hubble.jpg
NGC 300 zoom-in by the Hubble Space Telescope
NGC 300 by GALEX, in ultraviolet light Composite Image of NGC 300.jpg
NGC 300 by GALEX, in ultraviolet light

However, in 2008 a bright mid-infrared progenitor to the transient was discovered in historical Spitzer data. This was a star that was obscured by dust, with energy distribution analogous to a black-body of R ≈ 300 AU and radiating at T ≈ 300 K with Lbol ≈ ×106 L⊙ . This demonstrated that the transient was associated with an energetic explosion of a low-mass ≈ 10 M⊙ star. The transient's low luminosity as compared to typical core-collapse supernova, combined with its spectral attributes and dust covered properties, make it nearly identical to NGG 6946's SN 2008S. [10]

The spectrum of NGC 300-OT observed with Spitzer shows strong, broad emission features at 8 μm and 12 μm. Such features are also seen in Galactic carbon-rich protoplanetary nebulae. [10]

SN 2010da

On May 23, 2010, Monard discovered another transient object of 16th magnitude, denoted as SN 2010da. [13] The optical transient was detected 15".9 west and 16".8 north the center of the galaxy at coordinates 00 55 04.86 −37 41 43.7. [14]

Two sets of independent follow-up spectroscopy data suggested that this was again another optical transient rather than a supernova, possibly an outbursting luminous blue variable star according to one spectrum, [15] [16] as earlier predicted from the nature of the candidate mid-infrared progenitor. [17] The transient faded by 0.5–0.7 mag in 9 days, much faster than the 2008 transient in NGC 300. [18]

Other Supernovae

SN 2020acli (type IIn-pec, mag. 18.4) was discovered on 12 December 2020. [19]

Binary black hole system

The x-ray source at the core of NGC 300 is designated NGC 300 X-1. [20] Astronomers speculate that NGC 300 X-1 is a new kind of Wolf-Rayet + stellar black hole binary system similar to the confirmed such system IC 10  X-1. [20] Their shared properties include an orbital period of 32.8 hours. The black hole has a mass of 17 ± 4 M☉ and the WR star has a mass of 26+7
−5M☉. Both objects orbit each other at a distance of about 18.2 R☉. [21]

WO star

There is an oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet star (WO4 type), known as STWR 13, located in one of the bright H II regions in NGC 300. [22]

Notes

  1. ^ Average (1.845±0.125, 1.86±0.07) = ((1.845 + 1.86) / 2) ± ((0.1252 + 0.072)0.5 / 2) = 1.86 ± 0.07

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">Centaurus A</span> Radio galaxy in the constellation Centaurus

Centaurus A is a galaxy in the constellation of Centaurus. It was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia. There is considerable debate in the literature regarding the galaxy's fundamental properties such as its Hubble type and distance. NGC 5128 is one of the closest radio galaxies to Earth, so its active galactic nucleus has been extensively studied by professional astronomers. The galaxy is also the fifth-brightest in the sky, making it an ideal amateur astronomy target. It is only visible from the southern hemisphere and low northern latitudes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whirlpool Galaxy</span> Galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a (M51a) or NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. It is 7.22 megaparsecs away and 23.58 kiloparsecs (76,900 ly) in diameter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3184</span> Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

NGC 3184, the Little Pinwheel Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy approximately 40 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. Its name comes from its resemblance to the Pinwheel Galaxy. It has two HII regions named NGC 3180 and NGC 3181.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4725</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4725 is an intermediate barred spiral galaxy with a prominent ring structure, located in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices near the north galactic pole. It was discovered by German-born British astronomer William Herschel on April 6, 1785. The galaxy lies at a distance of approximately 40 megalight-years from the Milky Way. NGC 4725 is the brightest member of the Coma I Group of the Coma-Sculptor Cloud, although it is relatively isolated from the other members of this group. This galaxy is strongly disturbed and is interacting with neighboring spiral galaxy NGC 4747, with its spiral arms showing indications of warping. The pair have an angular separation of 24′, which corresponds to a projected linear separation of 370 kly. A tidal plume extends from NGC 4747 toward NGC 4725.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4603</span> Galaxy in the constellation Centaurus

NGC 4603 is a spiral galaxy located about 107 million light years away in the constellation Centaurus. It is a member of the Centaurus Cluster of galaxies, belonging to the section designated "Cen30". The morphological classification is SA(s)c, which indicates it is a pure spiral galaxy with relatively loosely wound arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4051</span> Galaxy in the constellation Ursa Major

NGC 4051 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation of Ursa Major. It was discovered on 6 February 1788 by John Herschel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2770</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Lynx

NGC 2770 is a spiral galaxy in the northern constellation of Lynx, near the northern constellation border with Cancer. It was discovered by German-born astronomer William Herschel on December 7, 1785. J. L. E. Dreyer described it as, "faint, large, much extended 150°, mottled but not resolved, 2 stars to north". NGC 2770 was the target for the first binocular image produced by the Large Binocular Telescope.

<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 discovered 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">Supernova impostor</span> Stellar explosions that appear to be supernovae

Supernova impostors are stellar explosions that appear at first to be a supernova but do not destroy their progenitor stars. As such, they are a class of extra-powerful novae. They are also known as Type V supernovae, Eta Carinae analogs, and giant eruptions of luminous blue variables (LBV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3621</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation Hydra

NGC 3621 is a field spiral galaxy about 22 Mly (6.7 Mpc) away in the equatorial constellation of Hydra. It is comparatively bright and can be well seen in moderate-sized telescopes. The galaxy is around 93,000 ly (29,000 pc) across and is inclined at an angle of 25° from being viewed edge on. It shines with a luminosity equal to 13 billion times that of the Sun. The morphological classification is SA(s)d, which indicates this is an ordinary spiral with loosely wound arms. There is no evidence for a bulge. Although it appears to be isolated, NGC 3621 belongs to the Leo spur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 157</span> Galaxy in the constellation Cetus

NGC 157 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, positioned about 4° east of the star Iota Ceti. This galaxy can be viewed from suburban skies using a moderate-sized telescope. It was discovered on December 13, 1783 by William Herschel. The compiler of the New General Catalogue, John Louis Emil Dreyer noted that NGC 157 was "pretty bright, large, extended, between 2 considerably bright stars". It is a relatively isolated galaxy; the nearest other galaxy of comparable luminosity lies at a separation of 4.2 Mly (1.3 Mpc).

SN 2009ip was a supernova discovered in 2009 in the spiral galaxy NGC 7259 in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus. Since the brightness waned after days post-discovery, it was redesignated as Luminous blue variable (LBV) Supernova impostor.

<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 6951</span> Galaxy in the constellation Cepheus

NGC 6951 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cepheus. It is located at a distance of about 75 million light-years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 6951 is about 100,000 light-years across. It was discovered by Jérôme Eugène Coggia in 1877 and independently by Lewis Swift in 1878.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 753</span> Galaxy in the constellation Andromeda

NGC 753 is a spiral galaxy located 220 million light-years away in the constellation Andromeda. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer by Heinrich d'Arrest on September 16, 1865 and is a member of Abell 262.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 877</span> Galaxy located in the constellation Aries

NGC 877 is an intermediate spiral galaxy located in the constellation Aries. It is located at a distance of circa 160 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 877 is about 115,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on October 14, 1784. It interacts with NGC 876.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4076</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4076 is a spiral galaxy located 290 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 27, 1785 and is a member of the NGC 4065 Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 2525</span> Galaxy in the constellation Puppis

NGC 2525 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. It is located at a distance of about 70 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 2525 is about 60,000 light years across. It was discovered by William Herschel on February 23, 1791.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markarian 590</span> Galaxy in the constellation of Cetus

Markarian 590, also known as NGC 863, NGC 866, and NGC 885, is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Cetus. It is located at a distance of about 300 million light years from Earth, which, given its apparent dimensions, means that NGC 863 is about 110,000 light years across. It is a change looking Seyfert galaxy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 300. Retrieved 2006-11-18.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Rizzi, L.; Bresolin, F.; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Gieren, W.; et al. (2006). "The Araucaria Project: The Distance to NGC 300 from the Red Giant Branch Tip Using HST ACS Imaging". The Astrophysical Journal . 638 (2): 766–771. arXiv: astro-ph/0510298 . Bibcode:2006ApJ...638..766R. doi:10.1086/498705. S2CID   15632452.
  3. ↑ Vlajić, M.; Bland-hawthorn, J.; Freeman, K.C. (2009). "The Abundance Gradient in the Extremely Faint Outer Disk of NGC 300". The Astrophysical Journal . 697 (1): 361–372. arXiv: 0903.1855 . Bibcode:2009ApJ...697..361V. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/361. S2CID   15805386.
  4. ↑ Westmeier, T.; Braun, R.; Koribalski, B. S. (2011-02-01). "Gas and dark matter in the Sculptor group: NGC 300". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 410 (4): 2217–2236. arXiv: 1009.0317 . Bibcode:2011MNRAS.410.2217W. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17596.x. S2CID   119264221.
  5. ↑ "NGC 300, a spiral galaxy in Sculptor". 8 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Karachentsev, I.D.; Grebel, E.K.; Sharina, M.E.; Dolphin, A.E.; et al. (2003). "Distances to nearby galaxies in Sculptor". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 404: 93–111. arXiv: astro-ph/0302045 . Bibcode:2003A&A...404...93K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030170. S2CID   54977869.
  7. ↑ van de Steene, G.C.; Jacoby, G.H.; Praet, C.; Ciardullo, R.; Dejonghe, H. (2006). "Distance determination to NGC 55 from the planetary nebula luminosity function". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 455 (3): 891–896. Bibcode:2006A&A...455..891V. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361:20053475 .
  8. ↑ Sandage, A. (1986). "The redshift-distance relation. IX - Perturbation of the very nearby velocity field by the mass of the Local Group". Astrophysical Journal . 307: 1–19. Bibcode:1986ApJ...307....1S. doi: 10.1086/164387 .
  9. ↑ Karachentsev, I.D.; Kashibadze, O.G. (2006). "Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field". Astrophysics . 49 (1): 3–18. Bibcode:2006Ap.....49....3K. doi:10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6. S2CID   120973010.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prieto, J.L.; Sellgren, K.; Thompson, T.A.; Kochanek, C.S. (2009). "A Spitzer/IRS Spectrum of the 2008 Luminous Transient in NGC 300: Connection to Proto-Planetary Nebulae". The Astrophysical Journal. 705 (2): 1425–1432. arXiv: 0907.0230 . Bibcode:2009ApJ...705.1425P. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/705/2/1425. S2CID   15627891.
  11. 1 2 Gogarten, S.M.; Dalcanton, J.J.; Murphy, J.W.; Williams, B.F.; et al. (2009). "The NGC 300 Transient: An Alternative Method for Measuring Progenitor Masses". The Astrophysical Journal . 703 (1): 300–310. arXiv: 0907.0710 . Bibcode:2009ApJ...703..300G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/703/1/300. S2CID   8131611.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bond, H.E.; Bedin, L.R.; Bonanos, A.Z.; Humphreys, R.M.; et al. (2009). "The 2008 Luminous Optical Transient in the Nearby Galaxy NGC 300". The Astrophysical Journal Letters . 695 (2): L154–L158. arXiv: 0901.0198 . Bibcode:2009ApJ...695L.154B. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/695/2/L154. S2CID   15953172.
  13. ↑ "ATEL 2640: Optical Photometry of the New Optical Transient SN 2010da in NGC 300". Astronomers Telegram. 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  14. ↑ "List of Supernovae". Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  15. ↑ "ATEL 2636: SN 2010da is a SN impostor". Astronomers Telegram. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  16. ↑ "ATEL 2637: Spectroscopy of SN 2010da in NGC 300". Astronomers Telegram. 2010-05-25. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  17. ↑ "ATEL 2632: Mid-IR progenitor of SN 2010da in NGC 300". Astronomers Telegram. 2010-05-24. Retrieved 2010-05-25.
  18. ↑ "ATEL 2660: Optical and Near-IR Follow-up of SN 2010da: Evidence for Warm Dust". Astronomers Telegram. 2010-06-04. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  19. ↑ Transient Name Server entry for SN 2020acli. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  20. 1 2 Barnard, R.; Clark, J.S.; Kolb, U.C. (2008). "NGC 300 X-1 and IC 10 X-1: a new breed of black hole binary?". Astronomy and Astrophysics . 488 (2): 697–703. arXiv: 0807.0606 . Bibcode:2008A&A...488..697B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077975. S2CID   1234999.
  21. ↑ Binder, Breanna A.; Sy, Janelle M.; Eracleous, Michael; Christodoulou, Dimitris M.; Bhattacharya, Sayantan; Cappallo, Rigel; Laycock, Silas; Plucinsky, Paul P.; Williams, Benjamin F. (2021-03-01). "The Wolf-Rayet + Black Hole Binary NGC 300 X-1: What is the Mass of the Black Hole?". The Astrophysical Journal. 910 (1): 74. arXiv: 2102.07065 . Bibcode:2021ApJ...910...74B. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/abe6a9 . ISSN   0004-637X.
  22. ↑ Breysacher, J.; Azzopardi, M.; Testor, G.; Muratorio, G. (1997-10-01). "Wolf-Rayet stars detected in five associations of NGC 300". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 326: 976–981. Bibcode:1997A&A...326..976B. ISSN   0004-6361.
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.