NGC 5257
Encyclopedia
NGC 5257 is a spiral galaxy
located in the constellation
Virgo
. The galaxy is notably interacting
with the spiral galaxy NGC 5258
. The two galaxies are listed together as Arp 240 in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies
. Both galaxies are distorted by the gravitational interaction, and both are connected by a tidal bridge, as can be seen in images of these galaxies.
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 in the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Virgo
Virgo (constellation)
Virgo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for virgin, and its symbol is . Lying between Leo to the west and Libra to the east, it is the second largest constellation in the sky...
. The galaxy is notably interacting
Interacting galaxy
Interacting galaxies are galaxies whose gravitational fields result in a disturbance of one another. An example of a minor interaction is a satellite galaxy's disturbing the primary galaxy's spiral arms. An example of a major interaction is a galactic collision.-Satellite interaction:A giant...
with the spiral galaxy NGC 5258
NGC 5258
NGC 5258 is a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Virgo. The galaxy is notably interacting with the spiral galaxy NGC 5257. The two galaxies are listed together as Arp 240 in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies. Both galaxies are distorted by the gravitational interaction, and both are...
. The two galaxies are listed together as Arp 240 in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies
Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies
The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies is a catalog of peculiar galaxies produced by Halton Arp. A total of 338 galaxies are presented in the atlas, which was originally published in 1966 by the California Institute of Technology....
. Both galaxies are distorted by the gravitational interaction, and both are connected by a tidal bridge, as can be seen in images of these galaxies.