NGC 3169
| NGC 3169 | |
|---|---|
| 250px
NGC 3169 by HST; 2.85′ × 1.68′ view
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| Observation data (J2000 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Sextans |
| Right ascension | 10h 14m 15.099s[1] |
| Declination | +03° 27′ 58.03″[1] |
| Redshift | +0.004113 ± 0.000017[2] |
| Helio radial velocity | +1,232[3] km/s |
| Distance | 56.85 Mly (17.43 Mpc)[3] |
| Type | SA(s)a pec[4] |
| Apparent dimensions (V) | 4.2′ × 2.9′ |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 10.3 |
| Other designations | |
| UGC 5525, PGC 29855[4] | |
NGC 3169 is a spiral galaxy about 75 million light years[3] away in the constellation Sextans. It has the morphological classification SA(s)a pec,[5] which indicates this is a pure, unbarred spiral galaxy with tightly-wound arms and peculiar features.[6] There is an asymmetrical spiral arm and an extended halo around the galaxy.[7]
This is a LINER 2 galaxy that displays an extended emission of X-rays in the region of the nucleus.[8] A hard X-ray source at the center most likely indicates an active galactic nucleus.[9] The stellar population in the nucleus, and a ring at an angular radius of 6″, shows an age of only one billion years and is generally younger than the surrounding stellar population. This suggests that a burst of star formation took place in the nucleus roughly one billion years ago.[5]
In 1984, a Type II-L supernova was discovered in this galaxy. Designated 1984E, the spectrum of this event at maximum light showed prominent balmer lines that indicated the explosion occurred inside a dense shell of hydrogen surrounding the star. This shell was likely created by a strong stellar wind from the progenitor star.[10] A second supernova was discovered in 2003; this time of type 1a. It was designated SN 2003 cg and reached peak magnitude 15.94.[11]
NGC 3169 is located in close physical proximity to NGC 3166, and the two have an estimated separation of around 160 kly (50 kpc). Their interaction is creating a gravitational distortion that has left the disk of NGC 3166 warped.[12] Combined with NGC 3156, the three galaxies form a small group within the larger Leo 1 group. The three are embedded within an extended ring of neutral hydrogen that is centered on NGC 3169.[5]
References
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