Arp 271 is a pair of similarly sized interacting spiral galaxies, NGC 5426 and NGC 5427, in the constellation of Virgo. It is not certain whether the galaxies are going to eventually collide or not. They will continue interacting for tens of millions of years, creating new stars as a result of the mutual gravitational attraction between the galaxies, a pull seen in the bridge of stars already connecting the two. Located about 130 million light-years away, the Arp 271 pair is about 130,000 light-years across. It was originally discovered in 1785 by William Herschel. It is speculated,[5][6] that the Milky Way will undergo a similar collision in about five billion years with the neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy, which is currently located about 2.6 million light-years away.[7]
| Arp 271 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 5426 (bottom left) and NGC 5427 (top right) | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 14h 03m 25.5s[1] |
| Declination | −06° 02′ 59″[1] |
| Distance | 127 million light-years (39 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.4[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SA(s)c pec[3] (NGC 5246) SA(s)c pec[4] (NGC 5247) |
| Apparent size (V) | 2.5[2] |
| Other designations | |
| NGC 5426 & NGC 5427, LEDA 50084, VV 21a, [VV2000c] J140325.9-060150, AGC 540006, 2MASX J14032604-0601509, VV 21, [VV2003c] J140325.9-060150, APG 271, MCG-01-36-003, [CHM2007] LDC 1026 J140326.04-0601509, [VV2006c] J140325.9-060150, 6dFGS gJ140326.1-060151, NVSS J140326-060149, [CHM2007] HDC 850 J140326.04-0601509, [VV98c] J140325.9-060150, IRAS 14008-0547, UGCA 380, UGCA 381 [HB91] 1400-057. | |
Supernovae in NGC 5426
editTwo supernovae have been observed in NGC 5426: SN 1991B (type Ia, mag. 16),[8] and SN 2009mz (type Ia, mag. 15.1).[9]
Supernovae in NGC 5427
editTwo supernovae have been observed in NGC 5427: SN 1976D (type Ia, mag. 14.5)[10] and SN 2021pfs (type Ia, mag. 14).[11]
Gallery
edit![Arp 271 taken by the VIMOS instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope.[12]](/wiki/File:VIMOS%27s_last_embrace_NGC_5426_and_NGC_5427.jpg)
References
edit- ^ a b "SIMBAD Astronomical Database". Results for Arp 271. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- ^ a b "The Interactive NGC Catalog Online". Results for NGC 5427. Retrieved 2010-09-22.
- ^ "Results for object NGC 5426 (NGC 5426)". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
- ^ "Results for object NGC 5427 (NGC 5427)". NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database. California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
- ^ "NASA's Hubble Shows Milky Way is Destined for Head-On Collision". 15 March 2021.
- ^ "NASA". Archived from the original on 2020-11-12. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
- ^ "Arp 271 — galaxies drawn together".
- ^ Transient Name Server entry for SN 1991B. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Transient Name Server entry for SN 2009mz. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Transient Name Server entry for SN 1976D. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
- ^ Astronomy Section of the Rochester Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "VIMOS's last embrace". www.eso.org. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
External links
edit
- Arp 271 — Galaxies Drawn Together, ESO picture of the week.
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