| NGC 2207 / IC 2163 | |
|---|---|
A Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of NGC 2207 and IC 2163. Credit: HST/NASA/ESA. |
|
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Canis Major |
| Right ascension | 06h 16m 22.0s / 06h 16m 28.0s[1] |
| Declination | -21° 22′ 22″ / -21° 22′ 33″[1] |
| Redshift | 2741 ± 15 / 2765 ± 20 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 81 ± 39 Mly (24.9 ± 12 Mpc)[2] |
| Type | SAB(rs)bc pec / SB(rs)c pec[1] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 4′.3 × 2′.8 / 3′.0 × 1′.2[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 12.2 / 11.6[1] |
| Notable features | colliding galaxies |
| Other designations | |
| RR59 132, PGC 18749 / 18751[1] | |
| See also: Galaxy, List of galaxies | |
NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are a pair of colliding spiral galaxies about 80 million light-years away[2] in the constellation Canis Major. Both galaxies were discovered by John Herschel in 1835. So far three supernovae have been observed in NGC 2207 (SN 1975A, SN 1999ec and SN 2003H). NGC 2207 is in the process of tidal stripping IC 2163.
In November 1999, the Hubble Space Telescope took a look at these galaxies.
In April 2006, the Spitzer Space Telescope also took a look at these galaxies (Picture seen below).
NGC 2207 is in the process of colliding and merging with IC 2163. But unlike the Antennae or the Mice Galaxies, they are still two separate spiral galaxies. They are only in the first step of colliding and merging. Soon they will collide, probably looking a bit more like the Mice Galaxies. In about a billion years time they are expected to merge and become an elliptical galaxy.