| NGC 508 | |
| Upright: | 1.35 |
| Epoch: | J2000[1] |
| Ra: | [2] |
| Constellation Name: | Pisces[3] |
| Type: | E |
| Appmag B: | 14.1 |
| Appmag V: | 13.1 |
| H Radial V: | (5451 ± 21) km/s |
| Dist Ly: | 247 Mly[4] |
| Z: | 0.01835 ± 0.00007 |
| Size V: | 1.1' × 1.1' |
| Names: | PGC 5099, UGC 939, GC 295, MGC +05-04-045, 2MASS J01234058+3316502 [5] |
NGC 508, also occasionally referred to as PGC 5099 or UGC 939, is an elliptical galaxy in the constellation Pisces.[3] It is located approximately 247 million light-years from the Solar System[4] and was discovered on 12 September 1784 by British astronomer William Herschel.[5] [6]
Herschel discovered NGC 508 along with NGC 507 and described the objects as "Two. Both eF, S, but unequal.". His observed position was catalogued and is accurate.[6] John Louis Emil Dreyer, creator of the New General Catalogue, described the galaxy as "very faint, small, northern of two", with the other object being NGC 507.[5]
The galaxy has an apparent size of 1.1 × 1.1 arcmins and a recessional velocity of 5525 kilometers per second. It is thought to be a group member with NGC 507, but as there is no evidence of interaction between the objects, the two are not necessarily a physical pair. Although NGC 508 is usually treated as part of Arp 229, the description of the Arp-galaxy only applies to the larger NGC 507. Therefore, the term Arp 229 should only be used as an alternative designation for NGC 507.[5]