| NGC 4647 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 4647 imaged by theHubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Right ascension | 12h 43m 32.3300s[1] |
| Declination | +11° 34′ 58.000″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.004700[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,409±1 km/s[1] |
| Distance | 57.37 ± 2.99 Mly (17.591 ± 0.918 Mpc)[1] |
| Group orcluster | Virgo Cluster |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.94[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(rs)c[1] |
| Size | ~78,000 ly (23.93 kpc) (estimated)[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 2.9′ × 2.3′[1] |
| Other designations | |
| KCPG 353A, VCC 1972, HOLM 448B,IRAS 12410+1151,Arp 116,UGC 7896,MCG +02-33-001,PGC 42816,CGCG 071-015,VV 206[1] | |
NGC 4647 is anintermediate spiral galaxy estimated to be around 63 millionlight-years away[2] in theconstellation ofVirgo.[3] It was discovered by German-British astronomerWilliam Herschel on March 15, 1784.[3] NGC 4647 is listed along withMessier 60 as being part of a pair of galaxies calledArp 116;[4][5] their designation inHalton Arp'sAtlas of Peculiar Galaxies. The galaxy is located on the outskirts of theVirgo Cluster.[6]
In optical images, the two galaxies' disks overlap. This has suggested an ongoing interaction, however images do not reveal any signs ofstar formation which would have been caused by a tidal interaction between the two galaxies. Recent studies of Hubble images made in 2012 of the two galaxies indicate that tidal interactions between the two have just begun.[7]
The gas in NGC 4647 has been mildly disturbed. The galaxy's location in the Virgo Cluster suggests that it might have suffered an effect known asram-pressure stripping caused by theintracluster medium. Another explanation may be hot gas in the halo ofMessier 60. The hot gas in Messier 60 may have increased the pressure of gas on the eastern side of NGC 4647 through either ram-pressure stripping or a bow-shock between the two galaxies causing the observed asymmetry of gas in the galaxy. The difficulty is that the galaxies would have to be so close that tidal forces from Messier 60 would cause the disk of NGC 4647 to get ripped apart.[8]
Twosupernovae have been observed in NGC 4647:
