NGC 4478

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NGC 4478
SDSS NGC 4478.jpeg
SDSS image of NGC 4478.
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 30m 17.4s [1]
Declination 12° 19′ 43″ [1]
Redshift 0.004500/1349 km/s [1]
Distance 52.2 Mly [2]
Group or cluster Virgo Cluster
Apparent magnitude  (V)12.36 [1]
Characteristics
Type E2 [1]
Size~30,000 ly (estimated) [1]
Apparent size  (V)1.9 x 1.6 [1]
Other designations
CGCG 70-133, MCG 2-32-99, PGC 41297, UGC 7645, VCC 1279 [1]

NGC 4478 is an elliptical galaxy located about 50 million light-years away [3] in the constellation Virgo. [4] NGC 4478 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 12, 1784. [5] NGC 4478 is a member of the Virgo Cluster. [6]

Contents

Nuclear disk

Hubble images indicate that NGC 4478 has a central nuclear disk. [7]

Metallicity

In NGC 4478, the central regions of the galaxy are high in metals while having less overabundance of the element iron than the main body. In contrast, the outer regions of the galaxy are low in metals while having a high overabundance in iron. [7]

Globular clusters

NGC 4478 has a typical sub-population of metal-poor globular clusters. However, it has a lack of metal-rich clusters. The lack of metal-rich clusters in other galaxies is usually attributed to accretion, or mergers with other galaxies. The only other known elliptical that has been shown to have a domination of metal-poor globular clusters is the giant galaxy NGC 4874 which is located in the center of the Coma Cluster. [2]

Reduced population

Due to tidal truncation caused by Messier 87, a significant amount of globular clusters have been striped away from NGC 4478 and have become members of Messier 87's globular cluster system. [8]

Interaction with Messier 87

NGC 4478 is likely to be a companion of the giant elliptical Messier 87. The two galaxies are separated from each other by about 130,400 Light-years (40 kpc). NGC 4478 has been tidally truncated by Messier 87. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4458</span> Elliptical galaxy in the Virgo constellation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4689</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4469</span> Spiral galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4436</span> Lenticular or dwarf irregular galaxy in the constellation Virgo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4476</span> Lenticular galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

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NGC 4482 is a dwarf elliptical galaxy located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4482 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784. It was rediscovered by astronomer Arnold Schwassmann on September 6, 1900 and was listed as IC 3427. It is a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4491</span> Barred spiral galaxy in the constellation of Virgo

NGC 4491 is a dwarf barred spiral galaxy located about 55 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4491 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784. NGC 4491 is located in a subgroup of the Virgo Cluster centered on Messier 87 known as the Virgo A subgroup.

<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 4564</span> Elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo

NGC 4564 is an elliptical galaxy located about 57 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. NGC 4564 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on March 15, 1784. The galaxy is also a member of the Virgo Cluster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4580</span> Unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation Virgo

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">ESO 444-46</span> Elliptical galaxy in the constellation Centaurus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3309</span> Elliptical 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 supergiant 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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4478. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  2. 1 2 3 Kissler-Patig, M.; Brodie, J. P.; Minniti, D. (4 June 2002). "Extragalactic globular clusters in the near infrared. I. A comparison between M87 and NGC 4478" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 391 (2): 441–452. arXiv: astro-ph/0206140 . Bibcode:2002A&A...391..441K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20020831. S2CID   16529462.
  3. ↑ "Your NED Search Results". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  4. ↑ Rojas, Sebastián García. "Galaxy NGC 4478 - Elliptical Galaxy in Virgo Constellation · Deep Sky Objects Browser". DSO Browser. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  5. ↑ "New General Catalog Objects: NGC 4450 - 4499". cseligman.com. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  6. ↑ "Detailed Object Classifications". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-15.
  7. 1 2 Morelli, L.; Halliday, C.; Corsini, E. M.; Pizzella, A.; Thomas, D.; Saglia, R. P.; Davies, R. L.; Bender, R.; Birkinshaw, M.; Bertola, F. (19 July 2004). "Nuclear stellar discs in low-luminosity elliptical galaxies: NGC 4458 and 4478" (PDF). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 354 (3): 753–762. arXiv: astro-ph/0408084 . Bibcode:2004MNRAS.354..753M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.08236.x. S2CID   13933949.
  8. ↑ NEILSEN, JR., ERIC H.; TSVETANOV, ZLATAN I.; FORD, HOLLAND C. (6 February 1997). "The Surface Brightness Fluctuations and Globular Cluster Population of NGC 4478". The Astrophysical Journal. 483 (2): 745–753. arXiv: astro-ph/9712339 . Bibcode:1997ApJ...483..745N. doi:10.1086/304267. S2CID   15606310.
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