| NGC 4318 | |
|---|---|
NGC 4318 imaged by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 22m 43.3s |
| Declination | 08° 11′ 54″ |
| Redshift | 0.004106 |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1231 km/s |
| Distance | 72 Mly (22 Mpc) |
| Group or cluster | Virgo W′ group |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 13.8 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | S0 |
| Mass | 7.2×1009 M☉ |
| Size | ~22,000 ly (6.7 kpc) (estimated) |
| Apparent size (V) | 0.84 x 0.69 |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 07446, VCC 0575, PGC 040122, MCG +02-32-015 | |
NGC 4318 is a small lenticular galaxy located about 72 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by astronomer John Herschel on January 18, 1828. NGC 4318 is a member of the Virgo W′ group, a group of galaxies in the background of the Virgo Cluster that is centered on the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 4365.
NGC 4318 contains a small, classical bulge and a nuclear stellar disc with a diameter of ~230 ly (70 pc). Outside the nuclear stellar disc lies a sharply bounded, low surface brightness region with a diameter of ~1,800 ly (560 pc) beyond which lies a larger outer disk.
NGC 4318 harbors a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 4 million (5×106 M☉) solar masses.
NGC 4318 is surrounded by 18 globular clusters.