NGC 1614

NGC 1614
Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 1614
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationEridanus
Right ascension04h 34m 00.027s
Declination−08° 34′ 44.57″
Redshift0.015938±0.000033[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity4,778[2]
Distance211.3 Mly (64.78 Mpc)[2]
Characteristics
TypeSB(s)c pec.[1]
Notable featuresStarburst galaxy with an active galactic nucleus
Other designations
2MASX J04340002-0834445, APG 186, IRAS 04315-0840, Mrk 0617, II Zw 015, PGC 15538

NGC 1614 is the New General Catalogue identifier for a spiral galaxy in the equatorial constellation of Eridanus. It was discovered on December 29, 1885 by American astronomer Lewis Swift, who described it in a shorthand notation as: pretty faint, small, round, a little brighter middle.[3] The nebula was then catalogued by Danish-Irish astronomer J. L. E. Drayer in 1888.[4] When direct photography became available, it was noted that this galaxy displayed some conspicuous peculiarities. American astronomer Halton Arp included it in his 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies.[5] In 1971, Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky described it as a "blue post-eruptive galaxy, compact patchy core, spiral plumes, long blue jet SSW".[6]

In the De Vaucouleurs system for classifying galaxies, NGC 1614 has a galaxy morphological classification of SB(s)c pec. The SB indicates this is a barred spiral galaxy, while the '(s)' means it lacks a ring-like structure around the nucleus. The trailing 'c' describes the spiral arm structure as being loosely wound. The peculiar nature of the galaxy is noted with the 'pec.' abbreviation.[1] The galaxy is bright at the center, with two nearly symmetrical inner spiral arms.[7] It is a luminous infrared source,[8] with total infrared luminosity is 1011.60 L☉, ranking 55th in the 2003 IRAS Revised Bright Galaxy Sample,[9] and is the second most luminous galaxy within 75 Mpc.[10]

This galaxy is undergoing a minor merger event with a gas-rich, low-mass companion galaxy, located in a tidal tail to the southwest of the nucleus. The main galaxy is estimated to be around 3−5 times as massive as the merging object. The interaction between the two galaxies is triggering a burst of star formation in NGC 1614,[8] although not apparently an active galactic nucleus.[11] It is described as "one of the most extreme nearby starbursts".[10]

In the core region, a 230 pc radius ring feature has formed around the nucleus within the last 5−10 million years from an inflow of gas caused by the merger event, and this structure is the site of the intense star forming activity known as a starburst region.[7] This activity is bright enough that it is masking whatever weak nuclear emission there is coming from the core.[10] The nucleus itself displays evidence of an older starburst event.[7] The starburst activity is presumed to be driving an observed outflow of cold molecular gas that has a combined mass of around 32 million times the mass of the Sun.[11]

Two supernovae have been observed in NGC 1614: SN 1996D (type Ic, mag. 18.2),[12] and SN 2020cuj (type II, mag. 20).[13]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference vaucoulerus1991 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Crook2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Swift1886 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NGC2000 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Arp1966 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference apj178_113 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Sliwa2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Konig2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sanders2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Pereira-Santaella2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference García-Burillo2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Transient Name Server entry for SN 1996D. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  13. ^ Transient Name Server entry for SN 2020cuj. Retrieved 30 March 2023.