NGC 4041

NGC 4041
NGC 4041 by the Hubble Space Telescope
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationUrsa Major
Right ascension12h 02m 12.173s[1]
Declination+62° 08′ 14.23″[1]
Redshift0.004113[2]
Heliocentric radial velocity1,214[3]
Distance70.4 Mly (21.57 Mpc)[3]
Group or clusterLGG 266[4]
Characteristics
TypeSA(rs)bc?[5]
Apparent size (V)1.697′ × 1.391′[1]
Other designations
2MASX J12021217+6208142, IRAS 11596+6224, LEDA 37999, UGC 7014, UZC J120212.2+620814, Z 292-61.[6]

NGC 4041 is the New General Catalogue identifier for a spiral galaxy in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Major. It is located an estimated 70 million light years from the Sun.[3] The morphological classification of SA(rs)bc[5] indicates this is a spiral galaxy the lacks a bar; the 'rs' means it has a weakly-formed ring structure, and the 'bc' indicates the spiral arms are moderately to loosely wound.[7]

The galaxy is inclined by around 20° to the line of sight from the Earth.[8] It is forming new stars at the estimated rate of 4.10 M☉ yr−1, which is fairly typical for a galaxy of this morphology. The star formation rate is much higher in the central region, which may be the result of recent merger with a dwarf galaxy within the last 100 million years.[5]

This galaxy has no detected activity in the nuclear region. There is a rotating nuclear disk of high brightness at the core that is consistent with the presence of a compact mass of 1+0.6
−0.7×107 M☉. Most likely this is a supermassive black hole (SMBH).[8][9]

On July 29, 1994, the type IIp supernova designated SN 1994W was discovered in this galaxy by Giancarlo Cortini and Mirko Villi. The event reached peak visual magnitude on August 13, and declined thereafter.[10] It was located about 19 arc seconds to the northwest of the nucleus.[11] This supernova was unusual for the exceptionally low quantity of nickel-56 released—indeed, it was the lowest inferred amount measured for any type II supernova as of that date.[10] Based upon a possible detection of X-ray emission from the remnant, this may be a high-luminosity type IIn supernova.[11]

NGC 4041 is a member of the LGG 266 galaxy group, along with NGC 4036, IC 758, UGC 7009, and UGC 7019. It is located just 17 arc minutes from NGC 4036, and the two form a pair with a projected separation of around 470 kly (143 kpc).[4]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ApJ131_1163 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference apj560_2_566 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Crook2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Cinzano1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference aj145_5_137 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SIMBAD was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference de Vaucouleurs1959 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference barth2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference apj586_2_868 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference apj493_2_933 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference apj527_2_L85 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).