| NGC 266 | |
| H Radial V: | km/s |
| Z: | 0.015547 |
| Dist Ly: | 60.3Mpc |
| Group Cluster: | NGC 315 Group |
| Type: | SB(rs)ab |
| Appmag V: | 12.54 |
NGC 266 is a massive barred spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces. NGC 266 is located at a distance of 60.3Mpc from the Milky Way. It was discovered on September 12, 1784, by William Herschel. The form of this barred galaxy is described by its morphological classification of SB(rs)ab, which indicates a quasi-ring-like structure (rs) and moderate-to-tightly wound spiral arms (ab).
According to A.M. Garcia, NGC 266 is a member of the NGC 315 Group (also known as LGG 14). This group contains 42 galaxies, including NGC 226, NGC 243, NGC 262, NGC 311, NGC 315, NGC 338, IC 43, IC 66, AND IC 69, among others.[1] Also, a 2013 paper lists NGC 266 as the dominant member of a small group with six low-mass galaxies.
NGC 266 is an LINER-type active galaxy. It has a moderate star formation rate estimated at ·yr−1. A diffuse X-ray emission from hot gas has been detected around this galaxy, extending out to a radius of at least 70,000 light years. This emission not being driven by winds from a starburst region, so the root cause is unknown.
One supernova has been observed in NGC 266. On 5 October 2005, Tim Puckett, Peter Ceravolo, and Yasuo Sano discovered SN 2005gl (typeIIn, mag. 18.2).[2] It was positioned east and north of the galactic nucleus. An image of the galaxy taken on September 10 showed no supernova event, so this explosion occurred after that date. The progenitor was identified as a massive hypergiant star that was most likely a luminous blue variable.