NGC 1350
Encyclopedia
NGC 1350 is a beautiful spiral galaxy
located 87 million light years
away in the southern constellation Fornax
(the Furnace). It measures roughly 130,000 light years across: slightly larger than our own galaxy
, the Milky Way
. It is classified as a Sa(r) galaxy, meaning that it is a spiral with arms wound tightly enough to form a prominent central ring. The faint outer ring (called a "pseudo-ring") is sometimes added to the beginning of the classification with the designation "R'1." NGC 1350 is seen on the outskirts of the Fornax cluster
of galaxies, but its estimated distance suggests that it is not a member. As of Dec 2008 there were no objects of note found in this galaxy.
's 8.2 meter Kueyen telescope on 26 Jan 2000, at the European Southern Observatory
site at Cerro Paranal, Chile. Observations were done at the following wavelengths (and assigned the following colors): B (blue)
for 6 minutes, V (green)
for 4 minutes, R (orange)
for 3 minutes, and I (red)
for 3 minutes. The image covers a region of 8.0 x 5.0 arcminutes of sky. North is to the left and East is down.
The viewing angle and the two rings make NGC 1350 look somewhat like a cosmic "eye." Another interesting feature is the tenuous nature of the outer arms, through which a number of background galaxies can be seen. The outer region's blue tint indicates the presence of star formation
.
Spiral galaxy
A spiral galaxy is a certain kind of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work The Realm of the Nebulae and, as such, forms part of the Hubble sequence. Spiral galaxies consist of a flat, rotating disk containing stars, gas and dust, and a central concentration of stars known as...
located 87 million light years
Light Years
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian recording artist Kylie Minogue. It was released on 25 September 2000 by Parlophone and Mushroom Records. The album's style was indicative of her return to "mainstream pop dance tunes"....
away in the southern constellation Fornax
Fornax
Fornax is a constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was created in the 18th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations.-History:Fornax was formed by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756...
(the Furnace). It measures roughly 130,000 light years across: slightly larger than our own galaxy
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
, the Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. It is classified as a Sa(r) galaxy, meaning that it is a spiral with arms wound tightly enough to form a prominent central ring. The faint outer ring (called a "pseudo-ring") is sometimes added to the beginning of the classification with the designation "R'1." NGC 1350 is seen on the outskirts of the Fornax cluster
Fornax Cluster
At a distance of approximately 62.0 Mly , the Fornax Cluster is the second richest cluster of galaxies within 100 million light-years, although it is much smaller than the Virgo Cluster. It lies primarily in the constellation Fornax, and may be associated with the nearby Eridanus Group...
of galaxies, but its estimated distance suggests that it is not a member. As of Dec 2008 there were no objects of note found in this galaxy.
Image
The image on the right is an almost-true color composite image made with the VLTVery Large Telescope
The Very Large Telescope is a telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The VLT consists of four individual telescopes, each with a primary mirror 8.2m across, which are generally used separately but can be used together to...
's 8.2 meter Kueyen telescope on 26 Jan 2000, at the European Southern Observatory
European Southern Observatory
The European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy, supported by fifteen countries...
site at Cerro Paranal, Chile. Observations were done at the following wavelengths (and assigned the following colors): B (blue)
Photometric system
In astronomy, a Photometric system is a set of well-defined passbands , with a known sensitivity to incident radiation. The sensitivity usually depends on the optical system, detectors and filters used. For each photometric system a set of primary standard stars is provided.The first known...
for 6 minutes, V (green)
Photometric system
In astronomy, a Photometric system is a set of well-defined passbands , with a known sensitivity to incident radiation. The sensitivity usually depends on the optical system, detectors and filters used. For each photometric system a set of primary standard stars is provided.The first known...
for 4 minutes, R (orange)
Photometric system
In astronomy, a Photometric system is a set of well-defined passbands , with a known sensitivity to incident radiation. The sensitivity usually depends on the optical system, detectors and filters used. For each photometric system a set of primary standard stars is provided.The first known...
for 3 minutes, and I (red)
Photometric system
In astronomy, a Photometric system is a set of well-defined passbands , with a known sensitivity to incident radiation. The sensitivity usually depends on the optical system, detectors and filters used. For each photometric system a set of primary standard stars is provided.The first known...
for 3 minutes. The image covers a region of 8.0 x 5.0 arcminutes of sky. North is to the left and East is down.
The viewing angle and the two rings make NGC 1350 look somewhat like a cosmic "eye." Another interesting feature is the tenuous nature of the outer arms, through which a number of background galaxies can be seen. The outer region's blue tint indicates the presence of star formation
H II region
An H II region is a large, low-density cloud of partially ionized gas in which star formation has recently taken place. The short-lived, blue stars forged in these regions emit copious amounts of ultraviolet light, ionizing the surrounding gas...
.