NGC 4921

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NGC 4921
NGC 4921 by HST.jpg
NGC 4921 in a combination of near-infrared and yellow light
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Coma Berenices
Right ascension 13h 01m 26.1s [1] 209453.02
Declination +27° 53 09 [1]
Redshift 0.018286; 5,482 km/s [2]
Distance ca. 320 Mly [3]
Apparent magnitude  (V)13.04 [1]
Characteristics
Type SB(rs)ab [1]
Size~209,400  ly (64.21  kpc) (estimated) [1]
Apparent size  (V)2.5 × 2.2 [1]
Other designations
UGC 08134, PGC 044899. [1]

NGC 4921 is a barred spiral galaxy in the Coma Cluster, located in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is about 320 million light-years from Earth. [3] The galaxy has a nucleus with a bar structure that is surrounded by a distinct ring of dust that contains recently formed, hot blue stars. The outer part consists of unusually smooth, poorly distinguished spiral arms. [4]

In 1976, the Canadian astronomer Sidney Van den Bergh categorized this galaxy as "anemic" because of the low rate at which stars are being formed. He noted that it has "an unusually low surface brightness and exhibits remarkably diffuse spiral arms". Nonetheless, it is the brightest spiral galaxy in the Coma Cluster. [5] This galaxy is located near the center of the cluster and has a high relative velocity (7,560 km/s) [6] compared to the mean cluster velocity. When examined at the 21 cm wavelength Hydrogen line, NGC 4921 was found to be strongly H I deficient, indicating that it is low in hydrogen. The distribution of hydrogen has also been deeply perturbed toward the SE spiral arm and is less extended than the optical disk of the galaxy. This may have been caused by interaction with the intergalactic medium, which is stripping off the gas via ram pressure. [7] Some filaments of gas that have been stripped away are falling back to the galaxy, making NGC 4921 possibly the first observational evidence of this fallback. [8]

On May 4, 1959, a supernova explosion was observed in this galaxy by M. L. Humason using a Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory. It appeared "quite far from the center" of the galaxy, [9] and was designated as SN 1959B. It reached an estimated peak magnitude of 18.5. [10] The light curve proved similar to supernova SN 1987a in the Large Magellanic Cloud, [11] and it displayed "unusual photometric behavior". [9]

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anemic galaxy</span> Type of spiral galaxy characterized by a low contrast between its spiral arms and the disk

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 3883</span> Galaxy in the constellation Leo

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4065</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4090</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4090 is a spiral galaxy located 340 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. The galaxy was discovered by astronomer Heinrich d'Arrest on May 2, 1864 and is a member of the NGC 4065 Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4092</span> Galaxy in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4092 is a spiral galaxy located 310 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. It was discovered by astronomer Heinrich d'Arrest on May 2, 1864. NGC 4092 is a member of the NGC 4065 Group and hosts an AGN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NGC 4098</span> Interacting galaxies in the constellation Coma Berenices

NGC 4098 is an interacting pair of spiral galaxies located 330 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices. NGC 4098 was discovered by astronomer William Herschel on April 26, 1785. It was then rediscovered by Hershel on December 27, 1786 was listed as NGC 4099. NGC 4098 is a member of the NGC 4065 Group.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4921. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
  2. Haynes, Martha P.; et al. (April 1997). "21 CM H1 Line Spectra of Galaxies in Nearby Clusters". Astronomical Journal. 113: 1197–1211. Bibcode:1997AJ....113.1197H. doi: 10.1086/118337 .
  3. 1 2 Atkinson, Nancy (2009-02-05). "Deep Hubble View of Unusual "Fluffy" Galaxy – and Beyond". Universe Today. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  4. Christensen, Lars Lindberg (2009-02-05). "Exceptionally deep view of strange galaxy". European Space Agency . Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  5. van den Bergh, S. (1976-06-15). "A new classification system for galaxies". Astrophysical Journal. 206: 883–887. Bibcode:1976ApJ...206..883V. doi: 10.1086/154452 .
  6. Poggianti, Bianca M.; Bridges, Terry J.; Komiyama, Y. Yagi, M.; Carter, Dave; et al. (2004-01-20). "A Comparison of the Galaxy Populations in the Coma and Distant Clusters: The Evolution of k+a Galaxies and the Role of the Intracluster Medium". The Astrophysical Journal. 601 (1): 197–213. arXiv: astro-ph/0309449 . Bibcode:2004ApJ...601..197P. doi:10.1086/380195. S2CID   17429859.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Bravo-Alfaro, H.; Cayatte, V.; van Gorkom, J. H.; Balkowski, C. (February 2000). "VLA HI Imaging of the brightest spiral galaxies in Coma". The Astronomical Journal. 119 (2): 580–592. arXiv: astro-ph/9912405 . Bibcode:2000AJ....119..580B. doi:10.1086/301194. S2CID   118308523.
  8. Cramer, W. J.; Kenney, J. D. P.; Tonnesen, S.; Smith, R.; Wong, T.; Jáchym, P.; Cortés, J. R.; Cortés, P. C.; Wu, Y.-T. (2021). "Molecular Gas Filaments and Fallback in the Ram Pressure Stripped Coma Spiral NGC 4921". The Astrophysical Journal. 921 (1): 22. arXiv: 2107.11731 . Bibcode:2021ApJ...921...22C. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac1793 . S2CID   236428596.
  9. 1 2 Barbon, R. (January 1978). "Supernovae in the Coma cluster of galaxies". Astronomical Journal. 83: 13–19. Bibcode:1978AJ.....83...13B. doi:10.1086/112170.
  10. Humason, M. L.; Gates, H. S. (June 1960). "The 1959 Palomar Supernova Search". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 72 (426): 208. Bibcode:1960PASP...72..208H. doi: 10.1086/127513 .
  11. Shakhbazian, R. K. (December 1987). "The supernova 1959b in NGC 4921". Astrofizika (in Russian). 27: 609–612. Bibcode:1987Afz....27..609S.