Messier 89

Messier 89[1]
Messier 89 by Hubble Space Telescope.
Observation data
Epoch J2000
Constellation Virgo
Right ascension 12h 35m 39.8s[2]
Declination +12° 33′ 23″[2]
Apparent dimension (V) 5.1 × 4.7 moa[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 10.73[2]
Characteristics
Type E,[2] LINER,[2] HIISy2[2]
Astrometry
Helio Radial velocity 340 ± 4[2]km/s
Redshift 0.001134 ± 0.000014[2]
Galactocentric Velocity 290 ± 5[2] km/s
Distance 50 ± 3 Mly (15 ± 0.92 Mpc)
Other designations
NGC 4552,[2] UGC 7760,[2] PGC 41968[2]
Database references
SIMBAD Search M89 data
See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies

Messier 89 (M89 for short, also known as NGC 4552) is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Virgo. It was discovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781. M89 is a member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies.[3]

Features

Current observations indicate that M89 may be nearly perfectly spherical in shape. This is unusual, since all other known elliptic galaxies are relatively elongated ellipsoids. However, it is possible that the galaxy is oriented in such a way that it appears spherical to an observer on Earth but is in fact elliptical.

The galaxy also features a surrounding structure of gas and dust extending up to 150,000 light-years from the galaxy and jets of heated particles that extend 100,000 light-years outwards. This indicates that it may have once been an active quasar or radio galaxy.[4]

M89 also has a large population of globular clusters. A 2006 survey estimates that there are 2,000 ± 700 globulars within 25′ of M89, compared to the estimated 150-200 thought to surround the Milky Way.[5]

References

  1. ^ J. L. Tonry, A. Dressler, J. P. Blakeslee, E. A. Ajhar, A. B. Fletcher, G. A. Luppino, M. R. Metzger, C. B. Moore (2001). "The SBF Survey of Galaxy Distances. IV. SBF Magnitudes, Colors, and Distances". Astrophysical Journal 546 (2): 681–693. arXiv:astro-ph/0011223. Bibcode 2001ApJ...546..681T. doi:10.1086/318301. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4552. http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/. Retrieved 2006-10-24. 
  3. ^ Elliptical Galaxy M89 @ SEDS Messier pages
  4. ^ Messier Objects 81-90 @ Sea and Sky
  5. ^ Tamura, Naoyuki; Sharples, Ray M.; Arimoto, Nobuo; Onodera, Masato; Ohta, Kouji; Yamada, Yoshihiko (2006). "A Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field survey of globular cluster populations around M87 - I. Observation, data analysis and luminosity function". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 373 (2): 588. arXiv:astro-ph/0609067. Bibcode 2006MNRAS.373..588T. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11067.x. 

External links

Coordinates: 12h 35m 39.8s, +12° 33′ 23″