NGC 3314
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| Galaxy | List of galaxies |
|---|---|
NGC 3314a (foreground) and NGC 3314b (background) |
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| Observation data (Epoch J2000) |
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| Constellation | Hydra |
| Right ascension | 10h 37m 12.5s |
| Declination | -27° 41' 05" |
| Redshift | +0.009323 |
| Distance | 117 Mly (a) 140 million ly (b) |
| Type | SBbc/SAab |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 2′.6 × 1′.7 |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | +12.5 |
| Notable features | galaxy overlapping another |
| Other designations | |
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NGC 3314 is a pair of overlapping spiral galaxies between 117-140 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. The foreground galaxy (NGC 3314a) is seen almost directly face-on. This virtually unique arrangement gives astronomers a chance to measure the properties of interstellar dust that create the dark areas silhouetted against the background galaxy (NGC 3314b).
While searching for overlapping galaxies in April 1999, two astronomers from the University of Alabama were the first to image the deep sky object in enough detail to tell that it was in fact two galaxies. [1] In a March 2000 observation of the galaxies, a prominent green star-like object was seen in one of the arms. Astronomers theorized that it could have been a supernova, but the unique filtering properties of the foreground galaxy made it difficult to decide definitively. [2]
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