| NGC 1253 | |
|---|---|
 NGC 1253 byHubble Space Telescope | |
| Observation data (J2000epoch) | |
| Constellation | Eridanus |
| Right ascension | 03h 14m 09.1s[1] |
| Declination | −02° 49′ 23″[1] |
| Redshift | 0.005713 ± 0.000002[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 1,713 ± 1km/s[1] |
| Distance | 69 ± 15.8Mly (21.2 ± 4.85Mpc)[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 11.7[2] |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | SAB(rs)cd[1] |
| Apparent size (V) | 5.2′ × 2.3′[1] |
| Notable features | Interacting galaxy |
| Other designations | |
| UGCA 62,Arp 279,MCG -01-09-018,IRAS 03116-0300,PGC 12041 | |
NGC 1253 is aspiral galaxy in the constellationEridanus. The galaxy lies about 70 millionlight years away from Earth, which means, given its apparent dimensions, that NGC 1253 is approximately 110,000 light years across.[1] It was discovered byWilliam Herschel on September 20, 1784.[3]
NGC 1253 is categorised as having a having abar, however its spiral arms are similar to that ofWhirlpool Galaxy. The galaxy has two spiral arms, probably as a result of interaction with its satellite.[4] The spiral arms end in what looks like a ring of hydrogen gas, while the inner area of the galaxy appears to be hydrogen poor. The velocity pattern indicates that the ring lies at the outerLindblad resonance. The highest hydrogen density is observed at the northwest part of the ring. The largestHII regions of the galaxy lie along that ring.[4] Thesupermassive black hole located in the centre of the galaxy is estimated to have a mass of 106.99 ± 0.53 (3 − 33 millions)M☉.[5]
NGC 1253 forms an interacting pair with NGC 1253A, aMagellanic spiral galaxy which lies 3.7 arcminutes away,[6] which corresponds to a projected distance of 25 kiloparsecs. The two galaxies share a common hydrogen envelope. The hydrogen envelope has an extension at its eastern side to the north that could be atidal tail.[4] The two galaxies belong in the same galaxy cloud asMessier 77 and its group.[7]
