| NGC 247 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 247 imaged by the Wide Field Imager (WFI) atESO'sLa Silla Observatory in Chile | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 00h 47m 08.2851s[1] |
| Declination | −20° 45′ 37.645″[1] |
| Distance | 11.1 ± 1.2Mly |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 9.9[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(s)d[1] |
| Size | ~93,000 ly (28.52 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 21.4′ × 6.9′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| HIPASS J0047-20,LEDA 2758,ESO-LV 540-0220,IRAS F00446-2101,2MASX J00470855-2045374,ESO 540-22,IRAS 00446-2101,MCG-04-03-005,GLXY G113.8-83.5+144,KUG 0044-210,UGCA 11,PGC 2758,[1]Caldwell 62 | |
NGC 247 (also known asCaldwell 62 and commonly known as theClaw Galaxy[2]) is anintermediate spiral galaxy about 11.1Mly away in theconstellationCetus. This distance was confirmed in late February 2011. Previous measurements showed that the galaxy was about12.2Mly away, but this was proved to be wrong.[3] NGC 247 is a member of theSculptor Group, and is 70 000 light years in diameter.[4]
NGC 247 has an unusually large void on one side of its spiral disk. This void contains some older, redderstars but no younger, bluer stars.[5]
NGC 247 is one of several galaxies that is gravitationally bound to theSculptor Galaxy (NGC 253). These galaxies form a small core in the center of theSculptor Group, which is one of the nearestgroups of galaxies to theMilky Way.[6] Most other galaxies associated with the Sculptor Group are only weakly gravitationally bound to this core.[6][7]
In 1963,Geoffrey Burbidge andMargaret Burbidge identified a group of five background galaxies located northeast of NGC 247.[8] This grouping came to be known asBurbidge's Chain, and in 1977 it was listed in theVV catalog asVV 518.[9] Individually, the 5 galaxies are also identified as NGC 247A, NGC 247B, NGC 247C, NGC 247D, and ESO 540-025.
![Center of NGC 247 imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.[10]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aThe_centre_of_NGC_247.jpg)
Media related toNGC 247 at Wikimedia Commons
