NGC 5033

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NGC 5033
NGC 5033. Credit: Peter Bresseler.
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Right ascension: 13h 13m 27.5s[1]
Declination: +36° 35′ 38″[1]
Redshift: 875 ± 1 km/s[1]
Distance:
Type: SA(s)c[1]
Apparent dimensions (V): 10′.7 × 5′.0[1]
Apparent magnitude (V): 10.8[1]
Notable features:
Other designations
UGC 8307,[1] 
PGC 45948[1]
See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies


NGC 5033 is an inclined spiral galaxy located in the constellation Canes Venatici. The galaxy has a very bright nucleus and a relatively faint disk. Significant warping is visible in the southern half of the disk. The galaxy's relatively large angular size and relatively high surface brightness make it an object that can be viewed and imaged by amateur astronomers. The galaxy's location relatively near Earth and its active galactic nucleus make it a commonly studied object for professional astronomers.

[edit] Nucleus

NGC 5033 contains a Seyfert nucleus, a type of active galactic nucleus.[2] Like many other active galactic nuclei, this galaxy's nucleus is thought to contain a supermassive black hole. The bright emission seen in visible light (as well as other wavebands) is partially produced by the hot gas in the environment around this black hole.

Integral field spectroscopic observations of the center of NGC 5033 indicate that the Seyfert nucleus is not located at the kinematic center of the galaxy (the point around which the stars in the galaxies rotate).[3] This has been interpreted as evidence that this galaxy has undergone a merger. The displacement of the Seyfert nucleus from the kinematic center may destabilize the rotation of gas in the center of the galaxy, which could cause gas to fall into the Seyfert nucleus. The gas would be compressed by the enormous gravitational forces in the center of the Seyfert nucleus and become hot, thus making the nucleus appear bright or "active".

[edit] Environment

NGC 5033 and the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5005 comprise a physical galaxy pair.[4] The two galaxies weakly influence each other gravitationally, but they are not yet close enough to each other to be distorted by the tidal forces of the gravitational interaction.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Results for NGC 5033. Retrieved on November 15, 2006.
  2. ^ L. C. Ho, A. V. Filippenko, W. L. W. Sargent (1997). "A Search for "Dwarf" Seyfert Nuclei. III. Spectroscopic Parameters and Properties of the Host Galaxies". Astrophysical Journal Supplement 112: 315-390. 
  3. ^ E. Meiavilla, A. Guijarro, A. Castillo-Morales, J. Jimenez-Vicente, E. Florido, S. Arribas, B. Garcia-Lorenzo, E. Battaner (2005). "Asymmetrical structure of ionization and kinematics in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5033". Astronomy and Astrophysics 433: 79-86. 
  4. ^ G. Helou, E. E. Salpeter, Y. Terzian (1982). "Neutral hydrogen in binary and multiple galaxies". Astronomical Journal 87: 1443-1464. 
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