| Antennae Galaxies | |
|---|---|
 Hubble Space Telescope image of NGC 4038 (top) and NGC 4039 (bottom) | |
| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Corvus[1] |
| Right ascension | 12h 01m 53.0s / 12h 01m 53.6s[2] |
| Declination | −18° 52′ 10″ / −18° 53′ 11″[2] |
| Redshift | 1642 ± 12 / 1641 ± 9 km/s[2] |
| Distance | 45 Mly / 65 Mly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.2 / 11.1[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SB(s)m pec / SA(s)m pec[2] |
| Size | 500,000 ly (150 kpc)[3][a] |
| Apparent size (V) | 5.2′ × 3.1′ / 3.1′ × 1.6′[2] |
| Notable features | Interacting galaxies |
| Other designations | |
| Ringtail Galaxy,[2] NGC 4038 / 4039,[2] PGC 37967 / 37969, Arp 244,[2] Caldwell 60/61, UGCA 264/265[2] | |
The Antennae Galaxies (also known as NGC 4038/NGC 4039 or Caldwell 60/Caldwell 61) are a pair of interacting galaxies in the constellation Corvus. They are currently going through a starburst phase, in which the collision of clouds of gas and dust, with entangled magnetic fields, causes rapid star formation. They were discovered by William Herschel in 1785.[4]
- ^ R. W. Sinnott, ed. (1988). The Complete New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue of Nebulae and Star Clusters by J. L. E. Dreyer. Sky Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-933346-51-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 4038 / 4039. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
- ^ Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive (28 April 2017). "Exploring the Antennae". Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Corvus". Universe Today. Retrieved 2006-12-07.
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