3C 295

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3C 295
3C 295 in X-ray imaging. Also depicts the two central "knots."
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
Constellation Boötes
Right ascension 14h 11m 20.6s[1]
Declination +52° 12′ 21″[1]
Redshift 0.4641
Distance 5 Gly
Type Radio galaxy
Apparent dimensions (V) 2 Mly diameter
See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies

3C 295 is a narrow-line radio galaxy located in the constellation of Boötes. With a redshift of .4641, it is approximately 5 billion light-years away from Earth[1]).

[edit] History

The number in its name corresponds with it being the 295th object in the Third Cambridge Catalogue of Radio Sources (which are ordered by right ascension). This is also where the prefix 3C came from.

The radio galaxy itself is a fairly normal small radio galaxy although unusually its hotspots are readily detected in optical and X-ray emission[2]. The X-ray emission from the source is dominated by thermal emission from a rich cluster of galaxies. In optical images about 100 galaxies can be seen. 3C295's cluster has enough material to create another 1,000 galaxies or more, making it one of the most massive objects in the known Universe. However, x-ray data showed that there is not enough mass to hold 3C295 together gravitationally, which suggests the presence of dark matter[3].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. Results for 3C 295. Retrieved on 2007-04-19.
  2. ^ Hardcastle, M.J.. An optical inverse-Compton hotspot in 3C196?. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.
  3. ^ Nemiroff, Robert; Jerry Bonnell. 3C 295: X-rays From A Giant Galaxy. Retrieved on 2007-04-20.


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