Cartwheel Galaxy

Not to be confused with Pinwheel Galaxy.
Cartwheel Galaxy
The Cartwheel Galaxy as seen from the James Webb Space Telescope[1]
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationSculptor
Right ascension00h 37m 41.1s[2]
Declination−33° 42′ 59″[2]
Redshift9050 ± 3 km/s[2]
Distance500 Mly (150 Mpc)[3]
Apparent magnitude (V)15.2[2]
Characteristics
TypeS pec (Ring)[2]
Size44.23 kpc (144,300 ly)
(diameter; 25.0 mag/arcsec2 B-band isophote)[2][4]
Apparent size (V)1′.1 × 0′.9[2]
Notable featuresRing shape
Other designations
MCG-06-02-022a,[2] PGC 2248[2]
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The Cartwheel Galaxy (also known as ESO 350-40 or PGC 2248) is a lenticular ring galaxy about 500 million light-years away in the constellation Sculptor.[1] It has a D25 isophotal diameter of 44.23 kiloparsecs (144,300 light-years), and a mass of about 2.9–4.8 × 109 solar masses; its outer ring has a circular velocity of 217 km/s. [5]

It was discovered by Fritz Zwicky in 1941.[6] Zwicky considered his discovery "one of the most complicated structures awaiting its explanation on the basis of stellar dynamics."[6][7]

The Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies (RC3) measured a D25 isophotal diameter for the Cartwheel Galaxy at about 60.9 arcseconds,[4] giving it a diameter of 44.23 kiloparsecs (144,300 light-years) based on a redshift-derived distance of 132.2 megaparsecs (431 million light-years).[5] This diameter is slightly smaller than that of the Andromeda Galaxy.

The large Cartwheel Galaxy is the dominant member of the Cartwheel Galaxy group, consisting of four physically associated spiral galaxies. The three companions are referred to in several studies as G1, the smaller irregular blue Magellanic spiral; G2, the yellow compact spiral with a tidal tail; and G3, a more distant spiral often seen in wide field images.

SN 2021afdx, a type II supernova in the Cartwheel Galaxy, was discovered in November 2021.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b Marks, Anastasia (4 August 2022). "The Cartwheel Galaxy Is the Webb Telescope's Latest Cosmic Snapshot – Scientists gained new insights into the distant object, which got its distinctive shape from a collision with another galaxy". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for Cartwheel Galaxy. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
  3. ^ Moore, Patrick (2000). The Data Book of Astronomy. CRC Press. p. 318. ISBN 0-7503-0620-3.
  4. ^ a b De Vaucouleurs, Gerard; De Vaucouleurs, Antoinette; Corwin, Herold G.; Buta, Ronald J.; Paturel, Georges; Fouque, Pascal (1991). Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies. Bibcode:1991rc3..book.....D.
  5. ^ a b Amram, P.; Mendes De Oliveira, C.; Boulesteix, J.; Balkowski, C. (1998). "The Hα kinematic of the Cartwheel galaxy". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 330: 881. Bibcode:1998A&A...330..881A.
  6. ^ a b Zwicky F (1941). in Theodore van Karman Anniversary volume Contribution to Applied Mechanics and Related Subjects. Pasadena, California: California Institute of Technology. p. 137.
  7. ^ Griv E (Oct 2005). "Origin of the Cartwheel Galaxy: disk instability?". Astrophys. Space Sci. 299 (4): 371–85. Bibcode:2005Ap&SS.299..371G. doi:10.1007/s10509-005-3423-5. S2CID 119586794.
  8. ^ David Bishop (23 November 2021). "2021afdx". rochesterastronomy.org. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  9. ^ "SN 2021afdx". Transient Name Server. IAU Supernova Working Group. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2021.