NGC 55
Encyclopedia
NGC 55 is a barred irregular galaxy
located about 7 million
light-year
s away in the constellation
Sculptor
. Along with its neighbor NGC 300
, it is one the closest galaxies to the Local Group
, probably lying between us and the Sculptor Group
.
NGC 300
have traditionally been identified as members of the Sculptor Group
, a nearby group of galaxies in the constellation of the same name. However, recent distance measurements indicate that the two galaxies actually lie in the foreground.
It is likely that NGC 55 and NGC 300 form a gravitationally bound pair.
calls it "one of the outstanding galaxies of the southern heavens", somewhat resembling a smaller version of the Large Magellenic Cloud.
Barred irregular galaxy
A barred irregular galaxy is an irregular version of a barred spiral galaxy. Examples include the Large Magellanic Cloud and NGC 6822. Some barred irregular galaxies may actually be dwarf spiral galaxies, which have been distorted into an irregular shape by tidal interactions with a more massive...
located about 7 million
1 E22 m
To help compare different orders of magnitude, this page lists distances starting at 10 Zm .Distances shorter than 10 Zm* 24 Zm — 2.5 million light years — Distance to the Andromeda Galaxy...
light-year
Light-year
A light-year, also light year or lightyear is a unit of length, equal to just under 10 trillion kilometres...
s away 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....
Sculptor
Sculptor (constellation)
Sculptor is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. It represents a sculptor. It was introduced by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in the 18th century. He originally named it Apparatus Sculptoris , but the name was later shortened.-Notable features:No stars brighter than 3rd magnitude are...
. Along with its neighbor NGC 300
NGC 300
NGC 300 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, and probably lies between us and the Sculptor Group. It is the brightest of the five main spirals in the direction of the Sculptor Group...
, it is one the closest galaxies to the Local Group
Local Group
The Local Group is the group of galaxies that includes Earth's galaxy, the Milky Way. The group comprises more than 30 galaxies , with its gravitational center located somewhere between the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy...
, probably lying between us and the Sculptor Group
Sculptor Group
The Sculptor Group is a loose group of galaxies near the south galactic pole. The group is one of the closest groups of galaxies to the Local Group; the distance to the center of the group from the Milky Way is approximately 3.9 Mpc....
.
Nearby galaxies and group information
NGC 55 and the spiral galaxySpiral 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...
NGC 300
NGC 300
NGC 300 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Sculptor. It is one of the closest galaxies to the Local Group, and probably lies between us and the Sculptor Group. It is the brightest of the five main spirals in the direction of the Sculptor Group...
have traditionally been identified as members of the Sculptor Group
Sculptor Group
The Sculptor Group is a loose group of galaxies near the south galactic pole. The group is one of the closest groups of galaxies to the Local Group; the distance to the center of the group from the Milky Way is approximately 3.9 Mpc....
, a nearby group of galaxies in the constellation of the same name. However, recent distance measurements indicate that the two galaxies actually lie in the foreground.
It is likely that NGC 55 and NGC 300 form a gravitationally bound pair.
Visual appearance
The Webb Society Deep-Sky Observer's Handbook, writes the following about NGC 55: "Nearly edge-on and appears asymmetrical with some signs of dust near the bulge, which is diffuse, broad and somewhat elongated with the south edge sharp; southeast of the bulge it is strongly curved and lined with 4 or 5 faint knots; north edge of the curve is sharp." BurnhamRobert Burnham, Jr.
Robert Burnham, Jr. was an American astronomer. He is best known for writing the classic three-volume Burnham's Celestial Handbook.-Early work:...
calls it "one of the outstanding galaxies of the southern heavens", somewhat resembling a smaller version of the Large Magellenic Cloud.
See also
- NGC 4236NGC 4236NGC 4236 is a barred spiral galaxy located in the constellation Draco.-Galaxy group information:NGC 4236 is a member of the M81 Group, a group of galaxies located at a distance of approximately 11.7 Mly from Earth. The group also contains the well-known spiral galaxy Messier 81 and the...
– a similar edge-on spiral galaxy - NGC 4631NGC 4631NGC 4631 is an edge-on spiral galaxy in the constellation Canes Venatici. This galaxy's slightly distorted wedge shape gives it the appearance of a herring or a whale, whence its nickname...
– a similar edge-on spiral galaxy