| Messier 90 | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Virgo[1] |
| Right ascension | 12h 36m 49.8s[2] |
| Declination | +13° 09′ 46″[2] |
| Apparent dimension (V) | 9.5 × 4.4 moa[2] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.26[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(rs)ab,[2] LINER,[2] Sy[2] |
| Astrometry | |
| Helio Radial velocity | -235 ± 4[2]km/s |
| Redshift | -0.000784 ± 0.000013[2] |
| Galactocentric Velocity | -282 ± 4[2] km/s |
| Distance | 58.7 ± 2.8 Mly (18.0 ± 0.86 Mpc) |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | Search M90 data |
| See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies | |
Messier 90 (also known as M90 and NGC 4569) is a spiral galaxy about 60 million light-years away[a] in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier in 1781.[3]
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Messier 90 is a member of the Virgo Cluster.[4] The galaxy is located approximately 1°.5 away from the subgroup centered on Messier 87.[5] As a consequence of the galaxy's interaction with the intracluster medium in the Virgo Cluster, the galaxy has lost much of its interstellar medium. As a result of this process, which is referred to as ram pressure stripping, the galaxy's interstellar medium and star formation regions appear truncated compared to similar galaxies outside the Virgo Cluster.[6]
As stated above, the star formation in Messier 90 appears truncated. Consequently, the galaxy's spiral arms appear to be smooth and featureless, rather than knotted like galaxies with extended star formation.[6] However, the center of Messier 90 appears to be a site of significant star formation activity. Multiple supernovae in the nucleus have produced 'superwinds' that are blowing the galaxy's interstellar medium outward into the intracluster medium.[7]
The spectrum of Messier 90 is blueshifted, which indicates that it is moving towards the Earth.[2] In contrast, the spectra of most other galaxies are redshifted. The blueshift was originally used to argue that Messier 90 was actually an object in the foreground of the Virgo Cluster. However, since the phenomenon was limited mostly to galaxies in the same part of the sky as the Virgo Cluster, it appeared that this inference based on the blueshift was incorrect. Instead, the blueshift is thought to be evidence for the large range in velocities of objects within the Virgo Cluster itself.[5]
Low levels of H I gas prevents using the Tully-Fisher relation to estimate the distance to Messier 90.[7]
Messier 90 has PIE satellite galaxy (IC 3583) which is an irregular galaxy.
| Astronomical catalogs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Messier: | M88 - M89 - M90 - M91 - M92 | |
| NGC: | NGC 4567 - NGC 4568 - NGC 4569 - NGC 4570 - NGC 4571 | |
| PGC: | PGC 42087 - PGC 42088 - PGC 42089 - PGC 42090 - PGC 42091 | |
| UGC: | UGC 7784 - UGC 7785 - UGC 7786 - UGC 7787 - UGC 7788 | |
| Arp: | Arp 74 - Arp 75 - Arp 76 - Arp 77 - Arp 78 | |
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