Ü Celestial Atlas Þ
NGC Objects: NGC 4600 - 4649
To view NGC objects not yet listed here, visit the NGCIC Project
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NGC 4621 (= M59)
A 10th-magnitude elliptical galaxy (type E5) in Virgo (RA 12 42 02, Dec +11 38 48)
A member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies. (AURA, NSF, NOAO)
NGC 4631 (= PGC 42637) = The Whale Galaxy
Discovered (1787) by William Herschel
A 9th-magnitude barred spiral galaxy (type SB(s)d) in Canes Venatici (RA 12 42 08, Dec +32 32 29)
Based on recessional velocity of 605 km/sec, about 27 million light years away, in reasonable agreement with redshift-independent distance estimates of 18 to 24 million light years. Given that and apparent size of 15.5 by 2.7 arcmins, about 120 thousand light years in diameter. Because of its edge-on appearance and relatively near position, of great interest for studies of the vertical distribution of stars near spiral galaxies. |
The image above shows NGC 4631 and its nearby companion, NGC 4627
The one below links to a very large HST composite image
(Image Credit: Hubble Legacy Archive, ESA, NASA, Nikolaus Sulzenauer apod100517) |
NGC 4647
A 12th-magnitude spiral galaxy (type Sc) in Virgo (RA 12 43 32, Dec +11 34 55).
See NGC 4649, below, for an image of NGC 4647.
NGC 4649 (= M60)
A 9th-magnitude elliptical galaxy (type E) in Virgo (RA 12 43 40, Dec +11 33 07)
M60 is a 120 thousand light-year wide elliptical galaxy, in the Virgo Cluster, 60 million light years distant. It is a massive galaxy, with thousands of globular clusters, in addition to the trillions of stars in the galaxy, itself. In the image below, M60 is the bright elliptical at lower left. The more distant spiral galaxy above and to its right is NGC 4647. (AURA, NSF, NOAO) |
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