Galaxy 0402+379

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0402+379
Galaxy List of galaxies
Observation data
(Epoch J2000)
Constellation XXX
Right ascension 04h 05m 49.2s[1]
Declination +38° 03′ 32″[1]
Redshift 16,500 ± 300 km/s[1]
Distance 750 Mly (230 Mpc)[citation needed]
Type Sy[1]
Apparent dimensions (V)
Apparent magnitude (V) 17.2[1]
Notable features
Other designations
4C +37.11[1]

Galaxy 0402+379 is a radio galaxy and elliptical galaxy with the binary supermassive blackholes with the least separation of any directly observed binaries, as of 2006. The separation between the two is 24 light-years or 7.3 parsecs, with an orbital period of 150,000 years.

The previous directly observed least separation of supermassive binary black holes was 2,400 light-years. However quasar OJ 287 is inferred to have a binary supermassive black hole pair with an orbital period of 12 years, and thus be much closer together, however, they have not been directly observed.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Results for 0402+379. Retrieved on 2006-11-26.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

  • Cristina Rodriguez