Malin 1

Malin 1
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0 [1]
Constellation Coma Berenices [2]
Right ascension 12h 36m 59.341s [1]
Declination +14° 19′ 49.47″ [1]
Apparent dimension (V) 0.219′ × 0.204′ [2]
Characteristics
Type S? [1]
Other designations
Malin 1 , PGC 42102 , LEDA 42102 , 2MASX J12365934+1419494

Malin 1 is a giant low surface brightness[1] (LSB) disk galaxy[3] which is 650,000 light years across[4], five and a half times the diameter of our Milky Way. It was the first LSB galaxy verified to exist,[3] and as such, is the first giant LSB galaxy identified.[4] Its high surface brightness central spiral is 30,000 light years across; with a bulge of 10,000 light years.[4] The central spiral is a SB0a type barred-spiral.[4]

Malin 1 is peculiar in several ways; its diameter alone would make it the largest barred spiral galaxy ever to have been observed.[5]

Malin 1 was once thought to be the biggest galaxy ever,[3] at 1,000 times the diameter of the Milky Way.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e SIMBAD, "2MASX J12365934+1419494" (accessed 2010-10-27)
  2. ^ a b WikiSky, "PGC 42102" (accessed 2010-10-27)
  3. ^ a b c GD Bothun (February 1997). "The Ghostliest Galaxies". Scientific American 276 (2): 40-45. Bibcode 1997SciAm.276b..40B. 
  4. ^ a b c d Ken Crosswell (22 January 2007). "Malin 1: A Bizarre Galaxy Gets Slightly Less So". http://kencroswell.com/Malin1.html. 
  5. ^ Aaron J. Barth (2007). "A Normal Stellar Disk in the Galaxy Malin 1". The Astronomical Journal 133: 1085. doi:10.1086/511180.