| NGC 326 | |
| Epoch: | J2000 |
| Ra: | [1] |
| Constellation Name: | Pisces |
| Z: | 0.047400 |
| H Radial V: | 14,210 km/s |
| Type: | E |
| Appmag V: | 14.33 |
| Size V: | 1.4' × 1.4' |
| Names: | UGC 00601, CGCG 480-026, MCG +04-03-025, 4C +26.03, B2 0055+26, PGC 3482, PKS B0055+265, TXS 0055+265. |
NGC 326 is a dumbbell galaxy in the constellation Pisces. It was discovered on August 24, 1865 by Heinrich d'Arrest. It was described by Dreyer as "faint, a little extended, 9th or 10th magnitude star to southeast."[2]
X-shaped (or "winged") radio galaxies are a class of extragalactic radio source that exhibit two, low-surface-brightness radio lobes (the "wings") oriented at an angle to the active, or high-surface-brightness, lobes. Both sets of lobes pass symmetrically through the center of the elliptical galaxy that is the source of the lobes, giving the radio galaxy an X-shaped morphology as seen on radio maps.[3]
NGC 326 is a radio galaxy; in fact, it is one of the most prominent X-shaped galaxies ever observed. Several studies have been conducted to try to explain its morphology through either fluid motion or reorientation of the jet axis. The Chandra X-ray Observatory examined the emissions of the galaxy. The study revealed several features, including a high-temperature front that might indicate a shock, high-temperate knots around the rim of the radio emission, and a cavity associated with the eastern wing.[4]