NGC 4698

NGC 4698
NGC 4698 imaged with the 32-inch Schulman Telescope at Mount Lemmon Observatory
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationVirgo
Right ascension12h 34m 20.310s[1]
Declination+08° 11′ 51.94″[1]
Heliocentric radial velocity1,002[2] km/s
Distance54.8 Mly (16.8 Mpc)[3]
Group or clusterVirgo Cluster
Apparent magnitude (V)10.6[4]
Apparent magnitude (B)11.46[5]
Characteristics
TypeSA(s)ab[3]
Apparent size (V)4′.0 × 2′.9[4]
Notable featuresSeyfert-2 galaxy[6]
Other designations
PGC 43254, UGC 7970, VCC 2070
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NGC 4698 is a barred spiral galaxy[5] located around 55[3] million light years away from Earth in the constellation of Virgo. It belongs to the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and is positioned near the northeastern edge of this assemblage.[4] The morphological classification of NGC 4698 in the De Vaucouleurs system is SA(s)ab,[3] which indicates a purely spiral structure with moderate to tightly wound arms.[7] It is inclined to the line of sight from the Earth by an angle of 53° along a position angle of 170°.[8]

A unique feature of this galaxy is that the stars and dust of the nuclear disk are rotating in a direction that is aligned perpendicularly to the galactic disk. The bulge likewise appears elongated out of the galactic plane. This unusual alignment may have been the result of a past merger event.[5]

NGC 4698 is classified as a Seyfert-2 galaxy with an active galactic nucleus, which displays a prominent emission of radio and X-ray energy from the core while showing narrow emission lines in the optical spectrum.[6] The unified model of Seyfert galaxies proposes that the nucleus of a Seyfert 2 galaxy is obscured by a thick torus of gas and dust. However, the varying X-ray emission of the core of NGC 4698 shows little indication of being obstructed, suggesting instead that the source of the energy emission is generally unobscured but anemic in nature.[9]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ApJ131_1163 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ApJ655_790 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference MNRAS416_4_2712 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Finlay2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MNRASL423_1_L79 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference ApJ594_2_704 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Buta2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference AJ111_2_1086 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference ApJL726_2_L21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).