NGC 254

NGC 254
DECam image of NGC 254
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationSculptor
Right ascension00h 47m 27.595s
Declination−31° 25′ 18.11″
Redshift0.005434
Heliocentric radial velocity1629
Distance55.8 Mly (17.10 Mpc)
Apparent magnitude (V)11.82
Apparent magnitude (B)11.62
Characteristics
Type(R)SA(rl)0+
Apparent size (V)2.6′ × 1.7′
Other designations
MCG-05-03-005, PGC 2778

NGC 254 is a lenticular galaxy located in the constellation Sculptor. It was discovered by John Herschel in 1834. It is in a galaxy group with NGC 134.

NGC 254 is an example of a ring galaxy, a galaxy with a ring, and in this case, no central bar. Across the entire galaxy disk, there is a disk of ionized gas rotating in the direction opposite the stellar disk's rotation. This situation may have arose when a retrograde-orbiting satellite galaxy accreted onto the galaxy itself, some 1 billion years ago.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NGC 254". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 254. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Katkov, Ivan Yu.; Kniazev, Alexei Yu.; Sil'Chenko, Olga K.; Gasymov, Damir (2022). "Star formation in outer rings of S0 galaxies. IV. NGC 254: A double-ringed S0 with gas counter-rotation". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 658: A154. arXiv:2112.03289. Bibcode:2022A&A...658A.154K. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202141934. S2CID 245728982.
  4. 1 2 "New General Catalog Objects: NGC 250–299". cseligman.com. Retrieved 12 February 2017.