IC 486

IC 486
A face-on view of the barred spiral galaxy IC 486, showing a bright, elongated central bar and softly curving, ring-like spiral arms with subtle blue star-forming regions and dark dust lanes, set against a black background dotted with distant galaxies and a few foreground stars.
Hubble Space Telescope image of IC 486, the blue galaxy at upper right side is SDSS J080018.78+263611.3
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
ConstellationGemini
Right ascension08h 00m 20.9764s
Declination+26° 36′ 48.623″
Redshift0.026738 ± 6.45
Distance380 Mly
Apparent magnitude (V)13.7
Apparent magnitude (B)14.6
Surface brightness13.0
Characteristics
TypeSBa
Other designations
2MASX J08002097+2636483, IC 486, UGC 4155, LEDA 22445, MCG +04-19-018, CGCG 148-087, SDSS J080020.98+263648.7

IC 486 is a barred spiral galaxy located approximately 380 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Gemini. IC 486 is a Type I Seyfert galaxy, being a bright source of ultraviolet and X-rays in addition to the visible light emitted from its core. IC 486 was discovered by Austrian astronomer Rudolf Ferdinand Spitaler on 6 March 1891.

Characteristics

In optical images, the pale luminous center is dominated by older stars, while the bluish regions in the disk indicate sites of more recent star formation. Dark dust lanes trace regions rich in molecular gas. The galaxy's structure is typical of barred spirals, where the central bar influences gas flows and spiral arm formation.

At the center of IC 486 is a supermassive black hole with a mass exceeding 100 million times that of the Sun. This powers a bright active galactic nucleus (AGN), visible as a striking white glow that outshines surrounding starlight. The AGN arises from an accretion disk of gas and dust feeding the black hole, producing intense radiation, including X-rays.

References

  1. ↑ "SDSS J080018.78+263611.3". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "IC 486 | NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". ned.ipac.caltech.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  3. 1 2 Cutri, R. M.; Wright, E. L.; Conrow, T.; Fowler, J. W.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Grillmair, C.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Masci, F.; McCallon, H. L.; Wheelock, S. L.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Yan, L.; Benford, D.; Harbut, M.; Jarrett, T. (November 2013). "Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products". Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products: 1.
  4. 1 2 3 information@eso.org. "IC 486 (wide-field view)". www.esahubble.org. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  5. 1 2 3 "Revised IC Data for IC 486". spider.seds.org. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  6. 1 2 "IC 486". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  7. ↑ Véron-Cetty, M.-P.; Véron, P. (August 2006). "A catalogue of quasars and active nuclei: 12th edition". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 455 (2): 773–777. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20065177. ISSN 0004-6361.
  8. ↑ "Index Catalog Objects: IC 450 - 499". cseligman.com. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  9. 1 2 3 "Hubble image: IC 486—where spiral arms and star formation meet". phys.org. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  10. ↑ Mukherjee, Soumyadeep (2026-03-27). "Hubble Captures the Internal Structure of Barred Spiral Galaxy IC 486". DIY Photography. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
  11. ↑ information@eso.org. "Where spiral arms and star formation meet". www.esahubble.org. Retrieved 2026-03-30.

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