NGC 3077

NGC 3077
NGC 3077 by HST, 1.5′ view
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationUrsa Major
Right ascension10h 03m 19.1s[1]
Declination+68° 44′ 02″[1]
Redshift14 ± 4 km/s[1]
Distance12.8 ± 0.7 Mly (3.9 ± 0.2 Mpc)[2][3][4][a]
Apparent magnitude (V)10.6[1]
Characteristics
TypeI0 pec[1]
Apparent size (V)5.4′ × 4.5′[1]
Other designations
UGC 5398,[1] PGC 29146[1]
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NGC 3077 is a small disrupted elliptical galaxy, a member of the M81 Group, which is located in the northern constellation Ursa Major. Despite being similar to an elliptical galaxy in appearance, it is peculiar for two reasons. First, it shows wispy edges and scattered dust clouds that are probably a result of gravitational interaction with its larger neighbors, similar to the galaxy M82. Second, this galaxy has an active nucleus. This caused Carl Seyfert in 1943 to include it in his list of galaxies, which are now called Seyfert Galaxies. However, NGC 3077, though an emission line galaxy, is today no longer classified as a Seyfert galaxy.

NGC 3077 was discovered by William Herschel on November 8, 1801. He remarked that "On the nF (NE) side, there is a faint ray interrupting the roundness." Admiral Smyth described it as "A bright-class round nebula; it is a lucid white, and lights up in the centre ... between these [stars,] the sky is intensely black, and shows the nebula as if floating in awful and illimitable space, at an inconceivable distance."

An irregular dwarf object known as the "Garland" is located near NGC 3077.[5]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database". Results for NGC 3077. Retrieved 2006-12-13.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference tonryetal2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference karachentsevetal2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Karachentsev, I. D.; Kashibadze, O. G. (2006). "Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field". Astrophysics. 49 (1): 3–18. Bibcode:2006Ap.....49....3K. doi:10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6. S2CID 120973010.
  5. ^ Karachentsev, I. D.; Karachentseva, V. E.; Borngen, F. (1985-12-01). "'Garland' - an unusual object near NGC 3077". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 217 (4): 731–734. doi:10.1093/mnras/217.4.731. ISSN 0035-8711.