NGC 6040 | |
---|---|
Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
Constellation | Hercules |
Right ascension | 16h 04m 26.7s[1] |
Declination | 17° 45′ 01″[1] |
Redshift | 0.042079[1] |
Heliocentric radial velocity | 12615 km/s[1] |
Distance | 173 Mpc (564 Mly)[1] |
Group or cluster | Hercules Cluster |
Apparent magnitude (V) | 15.07[1] |
Characteristics | |
Type | SAB(s)c[1] |
Mass | ~2.1×1011[2] M☉ |
Size | ~356,300 ly (109.23 kpc)[1] (estimated)[1] |
Apparent size (V) | 1.3 x 0.5[1] |
Notable features | Forms an interacting pair with PGC 56942 |
Other designations | |
NGC 6040A, Arp 122 NED02, UGC 10165, PGC 56932, VV 212a[1] |
NGC 6040 is a spiral galaxy located about 550 million light-years away[3] in the constellation Hercules.[4] NGC 6040 was discovered by astronomer Édouard Stephan on June 27, 1870.[5] NGC 6040 is interacting with the lenticular galaxy PGC 56942.[6][7] As a result of this interaction, NGC 6040's southern spiral arm has been warped in the direction toward PGC 56942.[2] NGC 6040 and PGC 56942 are both members of the Hercules Cluster.[2][8]
NGC 6040 was classified in the 1966 Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies by Halton Arp, who listed it as Arp 122.[9] However, Mr. Arp mistakenly identified NGC 6040 as NGC 6039, which is not part of any Arp object.[5]