NGC 404 explained

NGC 404
Epoch:J2000
Type:SA(s)0−[1]
Dist Ly:10.0 ± 0.7 Mly (3.07 ± 0.21 Mpc)[2]
Z:-48 ± 9 km/s
Appmag V:11.2
Size V:3′.5 × 3′.5
Constellation Name:Andromeda
Names:UGC 718, PGC 4126

NGC 404 is a field galaxy[3] located about 10 million light years away in the constellation Andromeda. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784, and is visible through small telescopes.[4] NGC 404 lies just beyond the Local Group and does not appear gravitationally bound to it. It is located within 7 arc-minutes of second magnitude star Mirach, making it a difficult target to observe or photograph and granting it the nickname "Mirach's Ghost".[5]

Physical characteristics

NGC 404 is a very isolated dwarf lenticular galaxy, a bit more luminous and smaller than the Small Magellanic Cloud.[6] Unlike many other early-type galaxies, it is very rich in neutral hydrogen, most of it concentrated in a pair of large rings around it.[7] It also has star formation both on its center[8] and on its outermost regions, albeit at a low level[9]

Both the outer gas disk and its star formation are assumed to have been triggered by one or several mergers with smaller galaxies roughly 1 billion years ago and it has been proposed NGC 404 is a former spiral galaxy that was transformed into a lenticular one by that event

LINER emission

NGC 404 contains a low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER), a type of region that is characterized by spectral line emission from weakly ionized atoms.[10] A nuclear star cluster is also present as well as -likely- a supermassive black hole, with a mass of several tens of thousands solar masses[11]

Distance measurements

At least two techniques have been used to measure distances to NGC 404. The infrared surface brightness fluctuations distance measurement technique estimates distances to spiral galaxies based on the graininess of the appearance of their bulges. The distance measured to NGC 404 using this technique in 2003 is 9.9 ± 0.5 Mly (3.03 ± 0.15 Mpc).[12]

However, NGC 404 is close enough that red supergiants can be imaged as individual stars. The light from these stars and knowledge of how they should compare to nearby stars within the Milky Way galaxy allows for direct measurement of the distance to the galaxy. This method is referred to as the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method. The estimated distance to NGC 404 using this technique is 10.0 ± 1.2 Mly (3.1 ± 0.4 Mpc).[13] Averaged together, these distance measurements give a distance estimate of 10.0 ± 0.7 Mly (3.07 ± 0.21 Mpc).

Possible satellite

In 2018 a possible satellite designated Donatiello I was identified. Donatiello I is a dwarf spheroidal galaxy with little recent star formation. Difficulty in establishing the exact distance to the galaxy leaves its status as a satellite unconfirmed.[14]

Notes

  1. average(3.03 ± 0.15, 3.1 ± 0.4) = ((3.03 + 3.1) / 2) ± ((0.152 + 0.42)0.5 / 2) = 3.07 ± 0.21

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database . Results for NGC 404 . 2006-11-18 .
  2. Karachentsev, I. D. . Kashibadze, O. G. . Masses of the local group and of the M81 group estimated from distortions in the local velocity field . Astrophysics . 2006 . 49 . 1 . 3–18 . 2006Ap.....49....3K . 10.1007/s10511-006-0002-6. 120973010 .
  3. The structure of nearby groups of galaxies - Quantitative membership probabilities . Materne, J. . April 1979 . Astronomy and Astrophysics . 74 . 2 . 235–243 . 1979A&A....74..235M .
  4. http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/M/Mirachs_Ghost.html Mirach's Ghost (NGC 404)
  5. Web site: 'Ghost of Mirach' Materializes in Space Telescope Image . . 31 October 2008 . Jet Propulsion Laboratory . 26 September 2013 . 16 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170616114412/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=1926 . dead .
  6. Karachentsev, Igor D. . Karachentseva, Valentina E. . Huchtmeier, Walter K. . Makarov, Dmitry I. . A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies . The Astronomical Journal . 2003 . 127 . 4 . 2031–2068 . 2004AJ....127.2031K . 10.1086/382905. free .
  7. del Río, M. S. . Brinks, E. . Cepa, J. . High-Resolution H I Observations of the Galaxy NGC 404: A Dwarf S0 with Abundant Interstellar Gas . The Astronomical Journal . 2004 . 128 . 1 . 89–102 . 2004AJ....128...89D . 10.1086/421358. astro-ph/0403467 . 118900337 .
  8. Bouchard, A. . Prugniel, P. . Koleva, M. . Sharina, M. . Stellar population and kinematics of NGC 404 . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 2010 . 513 . A54 . A54 . 2010A&A...513A..54B . 10.1051/0004-6361/200913137. 1001.4087 . 54924295 .
  9. Thilker, David A. . 4 . Bianchi, Luciana . Schiminovich, David . Gil de Paz, Armando . Seibert, Mark . Madore, Barry F. . Wyder, Ted . Rich, R. Michael . Yi, Sukyoung . Barlow, Tom . Conrow, Tim . Forster, Karl . Friedman, Peter . Martin, Chris . Morrissey, Patrick . Neff, Susan . Small, Todd . NGC 404: A Rejuvenated Lenticular Galaxy on a Merger-induced, Blueward Excursion Into the Green Valley . The Astrophysical Journal Letters . 2010 . 714 . 1 . L171–L175 . 2010ApJ...714L.171T . 10.1088/2041-8205/714/1/L171. 1003.4985 . 51511487 .
  10. Ho . Luis C. . Filippenko . Alexei V. . Sargent . Wallace L. W. . A Search for "Dwarf" Seyfert Nuclei. III. Spectroscopic Parameters and Properties of the Host Galaxies . October 1997 . 112 . 315–390 . 10.1086/313041 . The Astrophysical Journal Supplement . 2 . astro-ph/9704107 . 1997ApJS..112..315H . 17086638 .
  11. Seth, Anil C. . 4 . Cappellari, Michele . Neumayer, Nadine . Caldwell, Nelson . Bastian, Nate . Olsen, Knut . Blum, Robert D. . Debattista, Victor P. . McDermid, Richard . Puzia, Thomas . Stephens, Andrew . The NGC 404 Nucleus: Star Cluster and Possible Intermediate-mass Black Hole . The Astrophysical Journal . 2010 . 714 . 1 . 713–731 . 2010ApJ...714..713S . 10.1088/0004-637X/714/1/713. 1003.0680 . 118544269 .
  12. Jensen, Joseph B. . 4 . Tonry, John L. . Barris, Brian J. . Thompson, Rodger I. . Liu, Michael C. . Rieke, Marcia J. . Ajhar, Edward A. . Blakeslee, John P. . Measuring Distances and Probing the Unresolved Stellar Populations of Galaxies Using Infrared Surface Brightness Fluctuations . Astrophysical Journal . February 2003 . 583 . 2 . 712–726 . 2003ApJ...583..712J . 10.1086/345430. astro-ph/0210129 . 551714 .
  13. I. D. Karachentsev . V. E. Karachentseva . W. K. Hutchmeier . D. I. Makarov . A Catalog of Neighboring Galaxies . Astronomical Journal . 2004 . 127 . 4 . 2031–2068 . 2004AJ....127.2031K . 10.1086/382905. free .
  14. Romanowsky. Aaron J.. Forbes. Duncan A.. Haynes. Martha P.. Donatiello. Giuseppe. Beasley. Michael A.. Makarov. Dmitry. Carballo-Bello. Julio A.. Longeard. Nicolas. Boschin. Walter. 2018-12-01. Mirach's Goblin: Discovery of a dwarf spheroidal galaxy behind the Andromeda galaxy. Astronomy & Astrophysics. en. 620. A126. 10.1051/0004-6361/201833302. 1432-0746. 2018A&A...620A.126M. 1810.04741. 55255865.

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